'Like A Big Family:' Julio Rodríguez, Dominican Republic Enter WBC With Confidence

Before Julio Rodriguez joined his Dominican Republic teammates in Miami ahead of the World Baseball Classic, he had already noticed something different about his star-studded team. This year, everyone seemed to be talking more. This year, everyone seemed more connected. And this year, after stunningly failing to make it out of pool play in the 2023 tournament, there was added motivation. "That’s why I feel even more excited to play," Rodríguez told me in February during Mariners spring training in Arizona. "We all know we’re talented, and we all know we’re really good at this game, but I feel like there’s a little something going on in the air." The bond among the Dominican players was already obvious months ago, when some of the compatriots he’ll be playing alongside in the WBC demonstrated the brotherhood they share off the field. In early January, Rodríguez made a personal investment of $1.3 million to overhaul his childhood baseball field in the Dominican Republic and turn it into a state-of-the-art complex that now includes the country’s first-ever public AstroTurf baseball field. Rodríguez and his No Limits Foundation completely remodeled the infrastructure of the complex, adding professional drainage, lights, batting cages, bullpens and bathrooms to give the kids in his neighborhood the modern facilities he never had when he was hitting his first home runs and taking the first steps toward his baseball dream. "We basically cleaned up the whole area," Rodríguez explained, "and turned it into a little stadium in my hometown." Rodríguez, who returns home every year to give back to his hometown — usually toys and baseball equipment, but this year on a much grander scale — called it one of the greatest things he has done in his life. And he wasn’t alone. He describes his community of Loma de Cabrera, an area tucked in the northwest corner of the country not far from the border with Haiti, as a place where "there’s not really a whole lot going on." That changed with the unveiling of the new complex, which turned into a reunion of Dominican baseball luminaries. Fellow Team Dominican Republic standouts Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr. and Oneil Cruz, as well as their WBC general manager, Nelson Cruz — the man who called Rodríguez in Spain earlier this year to officially welcome him back to the national squad — were among the many in attendance. Rodríguez dreamed of meeting MLB superstars like that when he was a kid, so he knows the impact that gesture from his teammates made on the youth of his community. "Definitely really grateful for them for showing support and love," Rodríguez said. "I feel like we’re all like a big family. Once we go on the field against each other, it’s like playing your best friends. You want to go all out, compete, beat them so you have that on them. But once we’re off the field hanging out, we’re like a family." For the next few weeks, that family will be together again. And this time, a more confident, self-actualized version of Rodríguez will be taking the field for the Dominican Republic. At the last WBC, Rodríguez was coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign. But he was just 22 years old, still getting his feet wet in the big leagues. And while his offensive success has fluctuated in the years since, he believes last year he gained a better understanding of the player he is and the leader he can be. "After I took a little bit of a break at All-Star [week] and kind of had some time to kind of think things through a little bit differently, I feel like from that point on, that’s when I started kind of stepping into that more," Rodríguez said. "As the second half kept going on and on, I kept getting more validation on those things. That’s when it was like, ‘That’s who I am, and that’s what I want to bring to the field.’" Put succinctly: "I learned a lot of things about myself and what makes me, me." Over the last four MLB seasons, those around him in Seattle have noted his growth. Rodríguez still believes the best way he can lead is through his play and accountability, but last season was the first time he said he felt truly comfortable speaking up. Mariners manager Dan Wilson noticed it, too. "I think we saw a huge step in terms of his maturity," Wilson said. "I think he learned a lot about baseball, he learned a lot about himself, and credit to him, he was able to put that to use. The second half that he had was unreal, and I just am excited for him with the [World] Baseball Classic to be ready to go and to take that right into the first half of this year. He’s a guy that’s full of joy, and when he plays with that joy, that’s when he’s at his best." Continuing a trend throughout his career, Rodríguez looked like a completely different player after the break last season. He had a .900 OPS in the second half and by year’s end had the lowest strikeout rate of his career, his second 30-30 season and the most valuable season of his career by wins above replacement. Entering 2026, there’s nothing he wants to change. With a better knowledge of who he is as a hitter, Rodríguez is entering the year from a more self-assured place. Seattle’s playoff run helped him build that belief. "Once you actually make a run in the playoffs, there’s a lot of things you can’t explain, but the confidence definitely grows in you," he told me. "That experience, that’s something you can’t replicate unless you’re actually in it." The Mariners got closer to the World Series than they ever had before, coming one game short of advancing past the Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series before dropping Games 6 and 7 in Toronto in heartbreaking fashion. In the deciding Game 7, a home run from Rodríguez put the Mariners ahead in the third inning. Another homer from Cal Raleigh added to the lead in the fifth. But in the seventh, Toronto’s George Springer delivered the dagger with a decisive three-run home run. In the moment, the pain was crushing. But, at least for Rodríguez, it was also fleeting. After letting his emotions out in the clubhouse, he quickly averted his attention forward in the days to follow. "There was not, like, ‘Oh, I need to take time away and think about it,’" Rodríguez said. "No, take what you can from it and move on. There’s nothing you can really change after everything’s over. It’s just, take the lesson and keep moving forward. Get better and go back at it." Afterward, Rodríguez returned to the Dominican Republic to see family and friends, as he does every offseason. He saw some of the World Series games when the television was on at his house, but he didn’t ruminate on the loss or watch every pitch with disdain. "I’m a big competitor, and even though I allow myself to feel things, at the same time, I try to get the best out of the situation," Rodríguez said. "Definitely turned my eyes to this season because it’s something that, as a team, we should be looking forward to. I actually experienced playoff baseball, and getting that rush of it, it’s addicting, to be honest. It’s addicting." In January, Rodríguez renovated his hometown baseball field. In February, he attended the Super Bowl and watched the Seahawks dismantle the Patriots in a win that added even more motivation as the Mariners try to keep Seattle’s party going in 2026. Before embarking on that journey, though, he’ll be playing in the closest thing to playoff baseball in March. Like the Mariners, Team Dominican Republic enters the year with unfinished business. The All-Star-laden Dominican team, which features Rodríguez, Soto, Guerrero, Tatis, Ketel Marte, Manny Machado and Junior Caminero in arguably the most talented lineup in the entire tournament, is looking to win the WBC for the first time since 2013. That was the last time it advanced beyond the second round. The revenge tour for Rodríguez and the Dominican Republic begins Wednesday night against Nicaragua. "I feel like the way the guys have come together, and the excitement we all have to come out and play this time," Rodríguez said, "I feel like it’s a little bit different."