NEWS: Julio Rodriguez has a 20/20 season for fourth straight year

With most of the news in Seattle lately focused on Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh’s spectacular home run pace and the return of thumping third baseman Eugenio Rodriguez at the trading deadline, it’s easy to overlook the recent accomplishments of Julio Rodriguez, the team’s dynamic center fielder.

On August 3, J-Rod reminded fans why he’s one of the best young players in either league. The 24-year-old from Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic hit his 100th career home run off of Texas Rangers starter Jacob deGrom in Seattle.

The go-ahead, two-run homer, his 20th of the season, was a record-setting blast. It made Rodriguez the first player in MLB history to begin his career with four consecutive 20/20 seasons. He entered the game with 21 steals.

It also made him the third player to reach triple-digits in home runs and steals in his first four seasons. The others were Bobby Bonds and Darryl Strawberry.

“That’s a very big accomplishment,” Rodriguez said after the game. “To be able to do it with this team and this organization is awesome. I’m just excited to see where things are going to go from here.”

Rodriguez’s 100th round-tripper also put him in good company as far as Mariners history goes. He did it in 542 career games, making him the third-fastest Seattle player to reach triple-digits behind Raleigh (482 games) and Alex Rodriguez (470).