A Mariners star is already getting 2026 MVP hype — and it's not who you think

Cal Raleigh put up a valiant effort to dethrone Aaron Judge for the 2025 AL MVP award. Raleigh undoubtedly had numbers worthy of the title and to some, was the rightful winner, but it's difficult to beat out a player with a 204 wRC+ and 10.1 fWAR like Judge.

Still, with the Mariners' talent only getting better with each season, it seems like only a matter of time that Raleigh or another member of the team brings home the award. If last year was any indicator, he has the best shot but according to some, he'll play second fiddle to another outstanding talent on the team.

MLB.com boldly predicted Julio Rodríguez to win the AL MVP award in 2026

The AL has no shortage of incredible individual talent. In addition to Judge (who has won the award three times in four years), the likes of Bobby Witt Jr. and the aforementioned Raleigh will also be serious contenders for the hardware. But Julio is absolutely on the shortlist and at just 25 years old, is already one of the best in the business.

He played more than anyone else in the American League last year, narrowly beating out Randy Arozarena by one plate appearance and still posted a 126 wRC+ with nine Defensive Runs Saved and 5.7 fWAR (5th in MLB). He was already the most valuable center fielder in baseball and has been remarkably consistent over his four-year career.

He's an exceptional five-tool player who hits for both power (.469 career slugging percentage) and average (.274 career average), is considered elite by most defensive metrics, and ranks in the top decile for both arm strength and sprint speed. He is one of the most complete baseball talents in MLB today.

So what would he have to do to make himself even more valuable? The biggest obstacle in his way is his annual slow starts. He has a career .737 OPS in the first half and a .902 OPS in the second half. His post-All Star break surge is inevitable at this point and gives us a glimpse of what he is capable of doing when firing on all cylinders. In spring training last year, the Mariners tried to get around this by giving him more at-bats, which didn't seem to move the needle given his 2025 first-half OPS of .731. But as he continues to mature and develop, it's definitely something he and the team are looking to patch up for the future.

Outside of that, the rest of the formula has been pretty effective thus far. Sure, he could draw a few more walks, optimize his swing decisions, and create better launch angles for fewer ground balls, but too many changes to his approach at the plate could have unforeseen side effects. Aside from a lift to his statistics, a more effective first half from Julio would put Seattle in the driver's seat of the AL West sooner and help them cruise to a dominant first place finish, swaying voters in his favor even more.

The Mariners already have a franchise player that plays excellent defense in center field while being a top-notch bat. He'll continue to get better as he approaches his prime so even if he doesn't end up winning an MVP award next year, it seems all but guaranteed that he'll get one eventually.