The Seattle Mariners may have lost the recent game to the Baltimore Orioles, but there were still a few good moments peppered throughout the game. Julio Rodriguez, Seattle’s young star, stole the show once again. Ever since his MLB debut last year, the 22-year-old has broken franchise records left and right. His whopping 14-year, $400 million contract may have set up expectations from fans, but he’s proving his worth in 2023.

Already a fan favorite, J-Rod charms the masses easily. In fact, right after a stunning display against the O’s, he made a fan’s day at a recent game.

Julio Rodriguez robbed a home run and didn’t even keep the ball

Instead, he gave it to a young fan. Baseball memorabilia is awesome to keep, but it’s even more special when a player makes a point of gifting it personally. It was the seventh inning, and Seattle was down 4-3. With Ryan O?Hearn at the plate, the Mariners’ Ty Adcock pitched a slider that turned into a home run. What could have been a two-run homer was robbed by Julio Rodriguez, who was tracking the ball closely.

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The slugger leaped over the center field wall at Camden Yards, snatching the ball out of the air. ?I knew I had it the whole time, I just didn?t think that it was going to go so far,? he told MLB.com. ?I definitely was looking forward to that.? Every ballplayer has certain checkboxes for the moves he wants to make on the field, and J-Rod just ticked one off.

However, what made the moment even more special was that the Mariners star didn’t even keep the ball for himself. Instead, he gifted it to a young fan who was nearby, attending his first MLB game. The little guy hugged his dad for a long moment, a smile of pure joy on his face. Is it any wonder it melted MLB Twitter’s hearts too?

Rodriguez melts the hearts of Seattle Mariners fans

Once upon a time, there was another famous Rodriguez in Major League Baseball. Another player with explosive talent, he stole the hearts of baseball fans, although one mistake later on cost him dearly.

The current Rodriguez, however, seems headed in a different direction, and fans love it. The family that the kid belonged to also expressed their gratitude to the Mariners player.

Despite the loss, Rodriguez didn’t fail to win hearts.

https://twitter.com/jennteichert1/status/1672741464772861952?s=20

No wonder Julio Rodriguez is so well-liked across all of MLB! The Mariners and the O’s next face each other on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET.

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