When Julio Rodríguez steps on the field, there is an air of anticipation that he will do something special.
Maybe that’s stealing a base (or 18 of them). Maybe that’s blasting a 450-foot home run. Or, maybe it’s simply spreading the joy that he plays the game with.
The All-Star Game is where the biggest talents and the biggest personalities take center stage — if you don’t think Rodríguez fits that description, you may need to reexamine the stats.
Rodríguez’s 18 stolen bases are tied for the MLB lead this season. But it’s not just his wheels that have set him apart, he is also consistently hitting the ball hard.