The Seattle chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America handed out its annual team awards to the Mariners before Friday’s game. The winners:
- Player of the Year: Julio Rodriguez
- Pitcher of the Year: Logan Gilbert
- Unsung Hero: Eugenio Suarez
The 21-year-old Rodriguez got a standing ovation from the T-Mobile Park crowd when he received his award during a pregame ceremony behind home plate.
He was the obvious MVP choice during his breakthrough rookie season — and he could be the obvious choice for years to come after signing a contract extension worth at least $209 million over the next 12 years.
In 500 at-bats, Rodriguez is hitting .280 with 27 home runs, 73 RBI, 25 stolen bases and a .844 OPS. His 5.7 Wins Above Replacement (Baseball Reference) rank No. 1 on the team and No. 10 among all MLB offensive players.
On Aug. 24 vs. Washington, Rodriguez became the fastest player (107 career games) in American League history to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, and the second-fastest in MLB history.
“Obviously, Julio has had a fantastic season,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “And I think the best is yet to come for Julio. There’s no question about that, for young as he is and how much he continues to learn.”
Rodriguez (back strain) is on track to return from the injured list when eligible Monday. Rodriguez took batting practice Thursday and worked out on the field before Friday’s game.
“He came out and was running around, feeling better,” Servais said. “We’re excited to get him back out there on Monday.”
In his first full major league season, the 25-year-old Gilbert entered his start Friday against Oakland with a 13-6 record and a 3.29 ERA in 31 starts.
“Logan Gilbert does not surprise me with what we saw from the first day of spring training. This guy was a different animal,” Servais said. “… He really should have made the All-Star team, in my opinion.”
Suarez and his Good Vibes Only leadership have been an integral part of the Mariners’ success. Acquired in a trade from Cincinnati during spring training, Suarez leads the Mariners in home runs (31) and RBI (85) and is second behind Rodriguez in WAR (4.8).
“I can’t say enough about Geno,” Servais said. “If you would have told me when the season started that Geno Suarez was going to have the kind of year he’s had, I would said there’s a chance. I know he’s had big years in the past, (but) going into a different ballpark and a different league, you just never know. … (And) he’s become a big-time leadership piece in our clubhouse. He’s the guy that gets the team to enjoy the daily wins.”
Note
- The Mariners placed catcher Curt Casali on the paternity list Friday, a day after his wife went into labor during Thursday’s game against Texas.
Catcher Brian O’Keefe, 29, was selected from Class AAA Tacoma. He is set to make his MLB debut when he first appears in a game. The right-handed-hitting catcher appeared in 83 games with Tacoma this season, batting .253 with 19 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs and 40 RBI.