It seems like everyone that gets a Julio Rodriguez hit these days feels like a Baller, well that goes double for this Blowout TV 2022 Topps Chrome Baseball Ben Baller Edition Break. Ben Baller is a Jeweler and Podcast influencer, and this special set is his take on the main 2022 Topps Chrome Baseball Series. His set includes a 220-card base set, plus 5 high-numbered short prints, and Inserts include Ben’s Diamond Die-Cuts, Ridin’ Low and more! This J-Rod hit was one of Ben’s signature Diamond Die Cuts. In addition to being a slick looking, diamond-shaped card with the signature Baller chain logo front and center, this hit was a Die Cut Gold numbered to 50. We’ve been seeing a lot of the 2022 Topps Chrome Ben Baller Breaks, now we know what all the fuss is about. We certainly hope Ben continues to ball with Topps Chrome.
J-Rod is all the rage.
We know the numbers, we see the hits, both on the field and in The Hobby, but what about J-Rod the person, and his journey?
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Julio Rodríguez signed with the Seattle Mariners at 16 years of age as an international free agent in July 2017, for a bonus of $1.75M! He made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Mariners in 2018, playing very well and impressing coaches from the start. He was more than 3 years younger than the average player in the league, but was still named both a DSL mid-season All Star, and Baseball America DSL All Star.
He started the 2019 baseball season with the Class A West Virginia Power in the South Atlantic League, and was promoted to the Class A-Advanced Modesto Nuts in the California League in August, becoming one of only three 18-year-olds in all of minor league baseball to play High-A ball in 2019.He crushed it in that league too and was named California League Player of the Week in September, and an MiLB Organization All Star.By September of 2019, he was the Mariners’ #2 prospect, and the No. 25 prospect in all of baseball.He went on to the Arizona Fall League for the Peoria Javelinas, and at the age of 18, was the youngest player in the AFL.
Guess what he did there?
That’s right, he crushed it!
He’d also go on to play with the Everett AquaSox, the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, but the Mariners ended up adding him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft after the 2021 season. J-ROD made his MLB debut for the Mariners on April 8, 2022.
That very season, he’d go on to receive 29 of the 30 possible votes for Rookie of the Year (Adley Rutschman received the other, sole vote) In addition to winning the Rookie of the Year Award, Rodriguez also won the Players Choice Award for AL Outstanding Rookie, Silver Slugger Award, and made the All-MLB Second Team.
Not bad for starting the season 1-for-21 with 12 strikeouts.Although he got off to a rough start, by May of the 2022 season, however, Rodgriguez had corrected the ship.
On May 1, Rodríguez hit his first career home run, a 3-run shot off of NL Cy Young Award winner of the 2022 season, Sandy Alcántara. He was named American League Rookie of the Month for both May and June of ’22, and in June he played 29 games, scored 22 runs, with 7 home runs, 16 RBI, and 5 stolen bases.
Rodriguez kept up a great pace all through the summer, and on August 23, 2022, he hit his 20th home run against the Nationals, making him the 6th player in Seattle Mariners history to join the 20–20 club, and the 4th player in MLB history to do so in their first MLB season.
J-Rod had a busy rookie season, he even competed in the Home Run Derby, where he hit 81 home runs across 3 rounds. Now you know a little more about where J-Rod is coming from, where he’s going, only time will tell….
