Mariners MVP Candidate: Julio Rodriguez
Right? Julio Rodriguez actually finished 7th in AL MVP voting in 2022. If he could produce for an entire season in 2023 like he finished 2022, he's definitely got a chance. No, I don't mean some small sample at the end of the season. I mean the last 124 games of the season. Check this out.
2022 - .284/.345/.509, 28 HR, 25 SB, 25 2B, 75 RBI, 84 R
2022 finish - .294/.344/.530, 28 HR, 23 SB, 24 2B, 75 RBI, 82 R
Extrapolated - .294/.344/.530, 34 HR, 28 SB, 29 2B, 92 RBI, 101 R, 7.6 WAR
I gave you his actual 2022 stats, how he played those final 124 games, and then an extrapolated number out to 152 games based on how he played. I'm not going full 162, because i fully expect some rest of a missed week or two for Julio. He's the face of the franchise, so they are still going to be cautious with him if anything pops up.
If he does in fact hit like he did for the majority of 2022, I don't see any reason at all why he won't be a legit MVP candidate. Unless, you know, someone hits 60+ HR again or there is a dual threat who dominates at the plate and on the mound. But when would that ever happen? (If you can't tell the sarcasm, I can't help you.)