DETROIT -- On the national stage, Julio Rodríguez 's decisive double that lifted the Mariners to a 3-2 win in Game 2 of this American League Division Series on Sunday night might’ve looked like a breakout moment.

Yet, for those who’ve watched closely for the past three months, that punctuating knock had been brewing for quite some time. All that was missing was the October platform, and with it on Sunday, a potential postseason giant might have been born.

“I do think that what we watched from July to the end of the year was kind of his last step of him evolving into one of the most complete players in the game,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said.

It wasn’t just the playoff stakes but the way Rodríguez connected on that double that stood out -- ahead in th

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