The Seattle Mariners clinched a postseason berth for the first time since 2001. Cal Raleigh's walk-off home run ultimately sealed the deal and sent Mariners fans home happy. Julio Rodriguez, who's been a driving force all season and is the front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year, sent a message to Mariners fans after clinching a playoff berth.
“One goal. Not the goal. Let’s go Seattle,” Julio Rodriguez wrote on Twitter.
There is no telling where Seattle would be without Rodriguez. The rookie not only provided no shortage of talent, but his upbeat attitude and consistent energy kept the team engaged throughout the year. Despite missing some time due to injury, Julio Rodriguez is slashing .280/.342/.502 with an .844 OPS and 27 home runs as of this story's publication. He's also driven in 73 runs and stolen 25 bases.
Some may label Julio Rodriguez as a future star, but it is difficult to argue against him already being a star.
If the season were to end today, Seattle would earn the second AL Wild Card spot. However, they could still attain the first Wild Card spot. On the other hand, Julio Rodriguez and the Mariners could still fall to the third Wild Card spot. Regardless, this is an organization that is content with simply making the postseason.
When the Mariners last made the playoffs in 2001, Ichiro Suzuki was in his rookie season and Julio Rodriguez was 9 months old.
And 21-years later, it is Rodriguez leading Seattle to the postseason in the midst of his rookie campaign.