Julio Rodriguez, the Seattle Mariners’ star outfielder, and one of the most electrifying players in all of baseball, has committed to participate in the Home Run Derby, which will take place in his home city leading up to this year’s All-Star Game. Rodriguez announced his decision through a video on social media Friday morning, becoming the first player to announce that he will take part in the event.
The Home Run Derby, a bracket-style event with timed rounds featuring eight participants, will take place July 10 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle and will air on ESPN. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts recently told MLB Network he would also take part if selected as part of the National League All-Star team, a near shoe-in considering his .260/.359/.502 slash line.
The last time it was held in Seattle, in 2001, former Mariner Bret Boone competed. The Derby did not exist the only other time in which the Emerald City hosted the Midsummer Classic, in 1979 at the Kingdome.
With Boone, who also participated in 2003, Rodríguez is one of just seven Mariners participants all-time, along with Jay Buhner (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Edgar Martinez (2000), Robinson Canó (2016) and, of course, Ken Griffey Jr., who did it a whopping seven times and is the only three-time champion.
Rodriguez put the league on notice of what he could do as a rookie in last year’s event, getting the Dodger Stadium crowd out of their seats with a stirring performance that saw him finish in second place to the San Diego Padres Juan Soto. Rodriguez went on to sign a lucrative long-term extension, lead the Mariners to their first postseason berth in more than 20 years and win the American League Rookie of the Year Award.
Rodríguez has Derby experience, but he will still be among the event’s youngest all time. At 22 years, 6 months, 12 days on July 10, Rodríguez would be the youngest Derby winner, besting Juan González, who was 23 years and 265 days old when he won in 1993. Soto, who edged Rodríguez last year, is the second youngest by just one day (23 years, 266 days).
Speaking of last year, Soto might have taken home the trophy, but Rodríguez was the contest’s biggest star by a mile. It was his coming out party. He knocked out two-time defending champion Pete Alonso from the New York Mets, and by virtue of the round-by-round format, Rodríguez hit 28 more total homers than Soto, 81 to 53, though Soto outpaced Rodríguez in the final round, 19 to 18.
Rodriguez is off to a slow start for a Mariners team that sits a game below .500 and is currently out of the playoff picture, batting .238/.300/.415 with 12 home runs and 16 stolen bases. But he ranks within the top 10% in average exit velocity.
