After the Seattle Mariners' heartbreaking 4-3 loss against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Oct. 20, the message shared by the Mariners' front office was that 2025 was the start of something special rather than a one-and-done.

It will take key moves and smart decision-making to return and exceed where Seattle reached in 2025.

Despite there being holes on the roster to fill for 2026 and beyond, there's a solid foundation for the Mariners for the next several seasons.

One of those core players in that foundation is center fielder Julio Rodriguez.

The three-time All-Star has been the face of the franchise since he made his major league debut in 2022 and he continued to show this year why he was awarded by the team with a long-term deal after his rookie season.

Here's the final grades for Rodriguez:

Julio Rodriguez by the numbers

Games played: 160

Hitting stats: .267 BA, 32 HRs, 95 RBIs, 106 Runs, 31 Doubles, 4 Triples, 44 BB, 152 SOs, .324 OBP, .474 SLG, .798 OPS

Defensive stats: 441 TC, 4 Errors, .991 Fielding

What I liked

Entering this season, the common narrative surrounding Rodriguez was his slow starts. In each of his previous three years in the majors, he started slow in the first half only to heat up in the second half.

Rodriguez's second-half surge last season was disrupted with a high ankle sprain that kept him out of action for three weeks and out of the outfield for a month. In 2024, Rodriguez had the worst professional season of his career and scored 76 runs in 143 games and hit 17 doubles and 20 home runs with 68 RBIs. He slashed .273/.325/.409 with a .734 OPS.

Rodriguez had his typical first- and second-half splits this season. He scored 63 runs in 95 games and hit 17 doubles, three triples and 14 homers with 50 RBIs before the All-Star break. He slashed .252/.313/.417 with a .731 OPS.

Rodriguez was named an All-Star starter. Instead of making the trip to the Midsummer Classic, he opted to skip the event and focus on the second half of the season.

That break paid dividends. Rodriguez scored 43 runs in 65 games and hit 14 doubles, a triple and 18 home runs with 45 RBIs. He slashed .290/.341/.560 with a .900 OPS.

All-Star games aren't a given for any player. The fact that Rodriguez opted to pass on the annual event to focus on himself and helping the team is a positive sign of growth for the 24-year-old superstar.

Rodriguez's defense was also among the best at his position.

Rodriguez was one of the American League's three finalists for the Gold Glove award at his position. He had 11 outs above average, which ranked in the 97th percentile in baseball according to Baseball Savant.

Rodriguez's 11 OAA, .798 OPS, 32 homers, 30 steals and 95 RBIs made him one of the best two-way players in the majors.

Best moments

Rodriguez had several multi-hit games over the course of the season. He had one of his best when the team needed it most.

Entering Game 2 of a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 6, Seattle had lost six of its last seven games and suffered two-straight series losses against the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays. The series loss against the Rays was a sweep.

The Mariners beat the Braves 10-2 on Sept. 6. It marked the beginning of a 10-game win streak for the team en route to a 90-72 record and their first American League West championship since 2001.

Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with three runs, two home runs, four RBIs and was hit by a pitch. He turned nine total bases in the win.

Future prospects

Rodriguez will continue to be one of the center pieces of the franchise for the rest of the decade. He's under contract through at least 2029. Seattle has five-season club option for Rodriguez it can exercise before the 2030 season, which means that Rodriguez could be on the team through 2034.

Rodriguez has been an All-Star three times in his four major league seasons and there's no indication that will change.

After the Mariners' loss to the Blue Jays in the ALCS, starting pitcher Bryan Woo was being interviewed by media while Rodriguez was audibly hear off-camera screaming in frustration.

Rodriguez was the final at-bat in Game 7 of the ALCS and struck out to end the Mariners season. He, along with the rest of the club, will be determined to make sure that doesn't happen again in 2026.

Final grade: A-

Rodriguez finished the year with a 5.7 fWAR (FanGraphs wins above replacement) which ranked seventh in the American League and 16th in the major leagues.

As mentioned before, Rodriguez was one of the best two-way players in the major leagues. But the slow starts have become a pattern.

The fact that Rodriguez chose to skip the All-Star Game is an excellent indicator of his mentality and willingness to put in the work in-season to get better.

But a full season of peak Rodriguez could be the difference between him being an All-Star and MVP. And an MVP-level Rodriguez could help Seattle reach heights it hasn't seen before.

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FINAL GRADES ON BRYAN WOO: The third-year starting pitcher helped the Seattle Mariners' starting rotation navigate rough waters. CLICK HERE

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