New York- The baseball season has begun in full swing. In a four-game set, the Seattle Mariners opened their season on the road in Minnesota to face off against the Twins. The Mariners and Twins split the series at Target Field, making both teams records two and two. On Opening Day, April 8th, Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez made his MLB professional debut. His parents were there in the crowd to watch their son begin his career in the pros.
Julio Rodríguez – Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic
On Saturday afternoon, Rodríguez recorded his first hit with a double in the top of the 9th inning. He has a spectacular arm in centerfield and is a huge upside for the Mariners defensively. The 21-year-old is ranked as the third overall prospect across Major League Baseball.
Although he has been off to a tough start offensively with a total of seven strikeouts in fourteen at-bats, Rodríguez is just getting his feet wet in the big leagues. He has shown the potential to be the next Dominican superstar, along with names like Fernando Tatís Jr., and Rafael Devers.
His approach in the batters box reminds me of sluggers such as Robinson Cano and Juan Soto. The nonchalant swagger is a trend setter within the sport in regards to growing a younger audience. Not to mention, the gold chain out and shining. You gotta love that.
Mariners fans have a lot to look forward to this season in their team’s potential to be a legit threat within the American League West. Along with Rodríguez, Seattle fans get the chance to watch All-Stars such as Jesse Winker and Adam Frazier on a daily basis at T-Mobile Park. This could be the year the Mariners break their 20-season postseason drought. Yes, Seattle has not appeared in the playoffs since 2001.
Following a three-game series in Chicago against the White Sox, which starts today, April 12th, the Mariners home-opener is set for Friday, April 15th. This weekend, the Mariners will host the Houston Astros. There is no doubt Rodríguez will get a huge ovation from the Mariners faithful.
Carlos Correa – Ponce, Puerto Rico
Carlos Correa, the hitting machine for the Astros Post Season. (Photo Bill Menzel, Latinosports.com)
Correa signed a mega-contract for approximately $105.3 million over three years with the Minnesota Twins. It must be stated that he contains an opt-out clause following the 2022 and 2023 season. Enough of the contract and finance talk.
On Friday afternoon, Carlos Correa made his Twins debut. It was just a matter of time until he recorded his first homer of the season. In the bottom of the 6th inning of Sunday’s matchup, Correa absolutely crushed a home run into the left field triple deck, which marked his first as a Twin.
You can see based on the video available above, Correa has the mindset in the batters box that you would love to have on your squad. For example, you throw in on Correa and challenge him, more often than not; he is going to put the bat on the ball or even to take you deep.
Later tonight & Wednesday, April 13th, Correa and the Twins host the LA Dodgers in a two-game stint. The Dodgers and Correa have a past history, to say the least. While playing for the Astros from 2015-2021, Correa was a core piece to Houstons 2017 World Series championship over the Dodgers as well as their impressive American League pennants in 2019 and 2021.
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