Julio Rodriguez

Julio Rodriguez led the 2022 youth movement throughout MLB, skipping Triple-A to win Rookie of the Year with 29 of 30 first-place votes and electrifying the crowd at the HR Derby in July. He contributed across all batting categories, slugging 28 HR with 75 RBI, 84 runs, and 25 stolen bases. His slash line was impressive at .284/.345/.509 with a wOBA of .366. He missed time in the middle of the season with a finger injury he incurred while stealing a base, or he would have probably joined the 30/30 Club. His K% (25.9) and BB% (7.1) need improvement, but at age 22, he has plenty of time to work on these numbers. Fantasy managers can deal with those considering he is above the 90th percentile in Avg EV, Max EV, HardHit%, barrel%, outs above avg, and sprint speed. Making a case for him to go 1.1 in 2023 drafts isn't difficult.

Julio Rodriguez speed to be on display in 2023

Mariners breakout star Julio Rodriguez might get back to utilizing his speed after a dip in that department in the second half last season, per Corey Brock of The Athletic.

Fantasy Impact

Rodriguez swiped 25 bases in his rookie season, but only four of those came in the second half. However, Mariners manager Scott Servais hinted at that having more to do with injury than anything, saying "that's a big part of his game." Look for Rodriguez to hit the ground running, no pun intended, this season and produce another stellar year.