Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez Fails to Advance to Home Run Derby Finals
After hitting 41 home runs in round one, Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodriguez hit 20 homers in the semifinals, failing to advance to the Finals.
Rodriguez, who finished as the Derby runner-up in 2022, was beaten by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, who hit 21 home runs in the semifinals. He'll meet Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays in the finals.
Rodriguez had beaten Pete Alonso, a two-time champion, in that first round.
One of the issues for Rodriguez in the semifinals was that he failed to unlock additional bonus time. He didn't hit any home runs over 440 feet.
Rodriguez is one of the most identifiable young players in the entire sport, having won American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2022 while leading the Mariners to the playoffs for the first time since 2001.
This year, he's hitting .249 with 13 homers for the M's, who are currently 45-44 and six games back in the American League West. They are four games back in the wild card chase.
Seattle will start the second half of the season on Friday, July 15, when they are home to the Detroit Tigers.
In addition to his participation in the Home Run Derby, Rodriguez is also a reserve for the All-Star Game itself. He was named as a replacement for Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, who is out with an oblique injury.
HOME RUN DERBY TOTALS:
Julio Rodriguez: 41 R1, 20 R2
Randy Arozarena: 24 R1, 35 R2
Luis Robert: 28 R1, 22 R2
Vladimir Guerrero Jr: 26 R1, 21 R2
Adley Rustchman: 27 R1
Adolis Garcia: 17 R1
Pete Alonso: 21 R1
Mookie Betts 11 R1
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