Fans Divided as Julio Rodriguez Chooses WBC Glory with DR over World Series with Mariners

Julio Rodriguez expressed that winning the World Baseball Classic with the Dominican Republic would top his baseball list.

Fans Divided as Julio Rodriguez Chooses WBC Glory with DR over World Series with Mariners

Julio Rodriguez (Image via FOX Sports)

Ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) quarterfinals, Julio Rodriguez made one thing clear. For him, winning this tournament would top his baseball list instead of winning the World Series title with the Seattle Mariners.

Rodriguez’s team, the Dominican Republic, have been in red-hot form this tournament. Led by stars like Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr., they went unbeaten into the Pool stage.

The DR finished with a 4-0 record, scoring 41 runs and allowing just 10 runs in the process. This was a major improvement from the last edition, as they got eliminated in the pool stage with a 2-2 record.

Following a practice session on Thursday, Julio Rodriguez was asked the ultimate question by a reporter: to win the World Series with the Mariners or claim glory with his country. While the 3-time MLB All-Star claimed he loves the Mariners, he chose winning the WBC.

I love the Mariners. They know I give my best for them every single time I step on the field, but winning the World Baseball Classic is at the top of the list.

Julio Rodriguez said as per Foul Territory

The Mariners had a deep run last year but fell short. After winning the American League West division for the first time since 2001, they eliminated the Detroit Tigers from the American League Division Series (ALDS) by winning a wild 15-inning Game 5.

This set up an American League Championship Series (ALCS) clash with the Toronto Blue Jays. The two teams traded punches left and right in this clash. The Mariners found themselves one win away from the Fall Classic following a 6-2 win in Game 5.

However, they suffered a major heartbreak after that. A 6-2 win for the Blue Jays in Game 6 forced Game 7 in Toronto. The Mariners, who were leading 3-1 in Game 7, would concede a 3-run home run from George Springer, which put the Blue Jays on top.

Rodriguez and his side were unable to mount a comeback and ended up losing the contest. They became the first team in history to lose a best-of-seven LCS series after winning the first two games on the road.

Following this loss, a moment of J-Rod would go viral. During an interview of Bryan Woo, a scream was heard in the locker room. It was later revealed to be Rodriguez, who would vent his frustration after the massive loss.

Julio Rodriguez’s comment sparks mixed reactions on social media

Julio Rodriguez expressed that winning the World Baseball Classic with the Dominican Republic would mean more to him than winning the World Series with the Seattle Mariners. This comment from him sparked mixed reactions from fans on social media.

Julio Rodriguez
Julio Rodriguez (Image via Imago)

In the past few days, fans have been debating the intensity of the competition. While some hyped up the tournament, some boldly declared that it was a mere exhibition event.

Rodriguez’s comment was met with different opinions. While some agreed with him, some claimed that winning the World Series was much harder.

These words from him also comes at a time when there is some tension in the Mariners clubhouse. After Cal Raleigh refused to shake hands with Randy Arozarena during the USA-Mexico game, the latter blasted him in a post-game interview.

Since then, Raleigh has tried to tone down the drama by claiming that he loves Arozarena and that there is no beef between them.

Julio Rodriguez and the Dominican Republic to take on South Korea in quarterfinals clash

Julio Rodriguez and the Dominican Republic went 4-0 in the pool stages with huge wins over Nicaragua, the Netherlands and Israel before taking down Venezuela 7-5. This has set them up for a clash with South Korea in the WBC quarterfinals.

Julio Rodriguez
Julio Rodriguez (Image via X/@nypostsports)

South Korea, meanwhile, qualified for the knockout stages by finishing as the runners-up in Pool C. With wins over Czechia and Australia, they finished with a 2-2 record.

The two teams will face off at the loanDepot Park in Miami on Friday. The winners of this match will face the winners of USA-Canada clash in the semifinals.

The other two quarterfinals will see Japan take on Venezuela, while Puerto Rico takes on Italy. The final of this event will be played on March 17 in Miami. The Dominican Republic, who won the competition in 2013, would be hoping to add a second WBC title to their name.

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