The Seattle Mariners are going for it, as they were one of the most aggressive teams prior to the trade deadline as evidenced by their trades for Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor. But at the end of the day, what's going to elevate the Mariners even further is a return to MVP form for center fielder Julio Rodriguez. And on Sunday, Rodriguez was definitely in top form, homering off of Jacob deGrom in the top of the third inning in an eventual 5-4 win for the Mariners over division rival Texas Rangers.

Rodriguez wasted no time during that fateful at-bat, punishing a hanging slider from deGrom to launch a 391-foot bomb to right-center field — his 20th long ball of the campaign. And in so doing, the Mariners star made history, establishing himself in an exclusive club that only he is the member of thus far.

According to Mariners PR on X (formerly Twitter), Rodriguez became the first-ever player in MLB history to record at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in each of his first four seasons. This power and speed combo is rare to find, and even with the Mariners star not being at his best thus far in 2025, him being able to hit this mark regardless is a testament to the raw talent he has.

From the get-go, Rodriguez has been one of the most valuable contributors in all of MLB, buoying the Mariners to contention. Since Rodriguez became an everyday player in 2022, the Mariners have played above .500 ball, making the postseason in 2022 and barely missing out on the playoffs in 2023 and 2024 despite winning 88 and 85 games, respectively.

On the year, Rodriguez is now slashing .252/.308/.435. That remains a far cry from when he was at his best with the Mariners. But he shows up in big games, and his team expects him to continue doing so heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

Mariners are making the Astros feel the heat

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run against the Texas Rangers during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park.
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The AL West division race is heating up, with the Mariners inching their way towards the leader, the Houston Astros. With the Astros slumping hard, winning just two of their past 10 ballgames, the Mariners have now closed the gap to just 2.5 games.

With Seattle wrapping up a series victory over the Rangers (3-1), they now have a golden opportunity to pull closer to the Astros as their next series will be at home against the moribund Chicago White Sox.

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