No team in baseball did more to strengthen its lineup at the Trade Deadline than the Mariners, who added both Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor . Yet Seattle’s biggest second-half boost has come from within -- more specifically, from the franchise’s cornerstone in center field, Julio Rodríguez . And if that feels familiar, it’s because it is.

It’s become an annual tradition in the Pacific Northwest: Rodríguez scuffles at the plate early on, then roars to life once the second half rolls around.

Those slow starts haven’t stopped him from earning three All-Star selections, nor have they prevented him from making history with four straight 20-20 seasons to begin his career. But make no mistake -- there’s a stark difference between first-half J-Rod and second-half J-Rod, at least when it

See Full Page