Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodríguez has a combination of power and speed not often seen in baseball, particularly in the more specialized modern era. And through the early part of his career, Rodríguez has put that combination to use better than nearly any player — in the history of the game.
Rodríguez hit the 30th career home run of his young career earlier in April. In Friday’s win over the St. Louis Cardinals, just the 152nd game of Rodríguez’s career, he stole his 30th base.
How many players have reached the 30-30 mark in fewer games? The list is one.
Los Angeles Angels superstar and three-time American League MVP, Mike Trout.
Julio Rodríguez's stolen base in the sixth inning tonight marked the 30th stolen base of his career. He already has 32 career HR.
It took Rodríguez just 152 games to reach 30 career HR and 30 career stolen bases. Only Mike Trout reached those thresholds in fewer games (146). pic.twitter.com/ksXEmjo0uI
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 22, 2023
Rodríguez will also have a better chance at racking up more steals than Trout (and pretty much every other player in MLB history) had at this point of his career. The 2023 season brought new rules, which include bigger bases and pitchers being allowed fewer throws to first before a balk is assessed.
Rodríguez certainly has a long way to go before his overall body of work can be measured against Trout and some of the other great all-around players in MLB history. But in the early part of his career, he’s shown that he’s on the right path.
