"Can't even get the game on fast enough to catch him homer" "He is a future MVP" - Seattle Mariners fans in awe of rookie Julio Rodriguez as he blasts a leadoff home run against the Los Angeles Angels

Julio Rodriguez got the party started for the Seattle Mariners early in their game against the Los Angeles Angels. Rodriguez launched a leadoff home run off of Michael Lorenzen to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead Friday night. The homer marks his fifth leadoff home run in his very short MLB career.

The rookie has put on an absolute performance since making the Opening Day roster. Julio Rodriguez has 27 home runs this year, ranking him among the top 30 in the MLB. He has an .841 OPS going into Friday that ranks him 20th in all of baseball. The rookie has been putting up numbers of an established veteran.

Seattle fans are stoked to have this guy around for the long-term. Julio Rodriguez signed an extension this year with the Mariners that guarantees he's with the club until 2034. The rookie has an option to stay all the way through the 2039 season. Rodriguez will be roaming the outfield for Seattle for the next decade plus.

With the season he is having this year, Rodriguez is the favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. As a five-tool player, Julio Rodriguez can do it all and he has shown that by joining the 25 and 25 club. With at least 25 stolen bases and 25 home runs, Rodriguez became only the third rookie to ever post those numbers.

He has been a tremendous help to a Mariners team that is fighting for an American League Wild Card spot. With three AL Wild Card spots up for grabs, Seattle holds the second spot with an 80-62 record going into Friday. They have teams like the Baltimore Orioles and the recently hot Chicago White Sox sitting 4.5 and 6.5 behind them. The Mariners will need to finish off the season strong to guarantee them a playoff spot.

Are Julio Rodriguez and the Seattle Mariners serious World Series contenders?

With an easier schedule to close out the season, the Mariners are very capable of holding onto their Wild Card spot. They could be a darkhorse in the playoffs. The team has an excellent pitching staff behind Robbie Ray and Luis Castillo. Luis Castillio was acquired this trade deadline to help the Mariners secure a playoff spot.

On the offensive side, the team has gotten tremendous seasons from Julio Rodriguez and Ty France. Eugenio Suarez, Adam Frazier, and J.P. Crawford round out a stellar infield. The veteran presence of Carlos Santana as the designated hitter provides the Mariners with a long-ball threat each time he steps up to bat. The Seattle Mariners could be a serious threat in the postseason.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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