Julio Rodríguez firmly in MVP conversation with recent play

Seattle Mariners young star outfielder Julio Rodríguez has completely transformed a down season into an MVP-caliber year. Since July 1, he has led the American League in hits, extra-base hits and RBI and is second in stolen bases. 

J-Rod been particularly electric since the All-Star break, increasing his OPS from .721 in the first half to 1.055 in the second half, bringing his season OPS up to .848. He recently reached the 30-30 club, 30 HR and 30 stolen bases in one season. 

The Mariners have improved their record to 80-65 and are firmly in the playoff chase, thanks in large part to the turnaround of their star. His month-by-month statistical output shows a drastic swing from the start of the year to now, and he is heating up at just the right time. 

March/April: .239/.301/.443, 12 XBH, 6 SB, .743 OPS

May: .252/.314/.441, 11 XBH, 4 SB, .755 OPS 

June: .220/.291/.330, 5 XBH, 8 SB, .621 OPS 

July: .293/.353/.471, 11 XBH, 6 SB, .825 OPS 

August: .429/.474/.724, 17 XBH, 11 SB, 1.198 OPS 

September: .315/.315/.722, 9 XBH, 1 SB, 1.037 OPS 

He has sparked the Mariners and firmly solidified them as playoff contenders. His sharp turnaround has brought him into MVP contention. 

While the MVP award is Shohei Ohtani's to lose, J-Rod has a case if he wills the Mariners past the Houston Astros (82-64) and Texas Rangers (80-64) to win the division and he maintains a 1.000 OPS through the rest of the season. 

He still would not be hitting better than Ohtani and does not pitch, as Ohtani does, but his ability to bring the Mariners back to the postseason after the rough start makes his story better, and his defense is Gold Glove-caliber. While a storyline is not everything in the MVP race, voters may not vote for Ohtani year after year, given that his production is inherently more than anyone else’s as a two-way player. 

If he were to claim the award, he would be the first Mariners MVP since Ichiro Suzuki in 2001 and would cement himself as a franchise great just two seasons into his career.