Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez announced Wednesday that he will participate in the 2022 MLB Home Run Derby on July 18.
The 21-year-old rookie tweeted a video of his announcement that included The Athletic’s NBA insider Shams Charania and Mariners legends, Edgar Martinez and Randy Johnson.
The news comes one day after Rodriguez said he was undecided as to whether he would participate, according to the Seattle Times’s Ryan Divish.
Rodriguez, a current frontrunner for the American League Rookie of the Year, is slashing .274/.334/.477 with 15 home runs and 44 RBIs while recording an AL best 21 stolen bases. He joins Pete Alonso, Juan Soto, Ronald Acuña Jr., Albert Pujols and Kyle Schwarber in this year’s derby.
On July 4, against the Padres, Rodriguez notched his 15th home run—a 429-foot shot into left field—and became the fastest player in MLB history to record 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases, doing it in just 81 games. He joined Ronald Acuña Jr, Mike Trout, Andruw Jones and César Cedeño as players who recorded 15 homers and 20 stolen bases in any 81-game span at age 21 or younger.
There are two remaining slots left for this year’s derby.
