Mariners Rely on Julio Rodríguez‘s Late-Season Surge as They Face Elimination Game
SEATTLE – Teh Seattle Mariners face a pivotal Game 5 against the detroit tigers on Thursday, with their season hanging in the balance. Much of the team’s hope rests on the shoulders of outfielder Julio Rodríguez, whose remarkable ability to elevate his performance in the second half of the season has become a defining characteristic of his young career.
After dropping Game 3 in Detroit, the Mariners return to home field, where they previously defeated Tarik Skubal, Detroit’s scheduled starter, in Game 2 and performed well against him during the regular season. Manager Dan Wilson emphasized the team’s resilience, stating, “Everything’s in front of us. these guys have done this all season, where they get in a tough situation and they know exactly what to do – and they do fight back, and they do bounce back.”
Rodríguez’s career trajectory has consistently followed a pattern of overcoming early-season struggles to achieve critically important success. As a rookie in 2022, he rebounded from a slow April to become a star. He salvaged his 2023 season with a strong August. in 2024, a hot streak occurred in July, and this year, it spanned from mid-July through August and September. This pattern is reflected in his career OPS: .737 in the first half versus .902 in the second half - a 165-point increase.
those close to Rodríguez believe his recent turnaround represents an evolution, not simply a repetition of past successes. General Manager Jerry Dipoto, who has known Rodríguez as he was 16, noted he is “in a tranquil, collected, focused state, maybe unlike anything we’ve ever seen from him.” Catcher Cal Raleigh described Rodríguez’s recent approach at the plate as ”confident,” ”on-balance” and “controlled.”
Rodríguez has demonstrably improved his plate discipline, posting a career-low 21.4% strikeout rate in 2025, a 4 percentage point drop from last year. He attributes this to a more balanced approach, better understanding when to swing for pulled home runs, and a deeper self-awareness. He explained,”Your body tells you. You got to be able to have a good relationship with yourself and your body, and be honest with yourself when you feel like things are not going the way you want them to and you want to get better and put yourself in a better spot. You just know. You just got to know yourself to come up with those decisions.”
Mariners right fielder Victor Robles, speaking in Spanish, added, “The more games he sees, the better he gets.”
With the mariners facing elimination, Rodríguez’s ability to continue his late-season dominance will be critical to their chances of advancing in the playoffs.
