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3. Julio Rodriguez will win the MVP
Maybe this is not as hot of a take to Mariners fans, but a Mariner winning an MVP? That has not happened since Ichiro did it in his rookie campaign in 2001... and Julio Rodriguez may just be the man to do it. The 23-year-old is already off to an amazing career and is about to start year 3.
In his first two seasons as a big leaguer, Julio has finished 7th and 4th in MVP voting. Even if Julio started his 2023 season as hot as his second half of 2023, He probably only finishes second in MVP voting, behind Shohei Ohtani. The good news for Julio is that Ohtani is not in the National League after signing the biggest contract in American sports history with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Julio has been an All-Star in both of his big league seasons and has even won two Silver Slugger Awards as well. J-Rod is the star Mariners fans have wanted since the days of Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, and Ichiro. People have even put his career on the same trajectory as Ken Griffey Jr. I do not want to put that much pressure on him, but his stats are no joke.
Players to have 60+ HR and 60+ SB through their first 287 career games:
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 19, 2024
- Eric Davis
- Julio Rodríguez pic.twitter.com/obF5wSwjPp
With Ohtani now in the National League, who can beat Julio for that MVP? Corey Seager and Marcus Semien finished ahead of Julio in votes in 2023, and guys like Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., and any of the Orioles young guys could win it easily. So, what would Julio have to do to edge those guys out?
I think Julio Rodriguez has a 40/40 season ahead of him. 40 home runs, and 40 stolen bases. Should he hit .300 or close to that, and join the 40/40 club, he would win the award. No questions asked. The 2023 National League MVP went to Ronald Acuna Jr., where he hit 41 home runs and stole 73 bases. Can Julio do that? Sure he could, though I am not confident enough in the coaching staff letting Julio steal that many times. Julio is every bit as talented as Acuna, and if he shows that to the world in 2024, He will win the MVP for sure.