Seattle's Top Prospect Julio Rodríguez Earns Opening Day Roster Spot
One of the wrinkles in the new collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association included incentives for clubs to bring their top prospects to the big leagues sooner. Not only is this a ploy to curb service time manipulation, but also bring the game's young and exciting players to the big-league spotlight sooner.
On Monday, the Seattle Mariners awarded their top prospect Julio Rodríguez with one of 28 spots on their Opening Day roster.
Rodríguez, the No. 3 prospect in MLB.com's Top 100, has been a standout during Cactus League play, appearing in a dozen games and slashing .419/.471/.839/1.309 with three home runs, eight RBI and four doubles in 34 plate appearances. He's also stolen three bases in four attempts and showed off his speed with an inside-the-park home run on March 31.
The 21-year-old figures to be Seattle's regular center fielder.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
MLB insider Héctor Gómez tweeted a quote from Rodríguez's father about getting the call from his son:
"The most important call of my life was received today at 10:50 in the morning...'Daddy I did it'...emotions took over me and I really broke down. Gratitude to God for making this dream possible ... and to you, my dear son, the blessings for your dedication and discipline. May God be your guide."
The Texas Rangers are on the upswing after back-to-back finishes near the very bottom of the league. The Rangers now boast a top-10 farm system in baseball and just uncorked well over half a billion dollars to renovate their big-league roster. However, Seattle is coming off a 90-win season and has a higher-ranked farm system with Rodríguez as the crown jewel.
Could this be the beginning of a similar rivalry that took place when each club won three division titles from 1995-2001? Only time will tell.
