Recently, Major League Baseball (MLB) hosted its summer All-Star weekend, and this year’s break-out star was Julio Rodriguez.
Captivating the audience with his skills, his most impressive feat was the reward money associated with his participation in this year’s Home Run Derby.
In fact, Rodriguez reportedly made $50,000 more in the contest as a top performer in the derby than he’s set to make during his rookie season.
Home Runs Pay Off
Julio Rodriguez, a 21-year-old centerfielder for the Seattle Mariners, entered the league in 2022.
His participation in this MLB All-Star Game made him the youngest player to ever be a part of the annual event, according to Sports Illustrated.
The Home Run Derby is an event where players compete to see who can hit the ball out of playing territory. While Rodriguez was impressive, he finished second in the competition. However, his runner-up status didn’t compromise the significant bag associated with his efforts.
According to Yardbarker, with a total grand-prize pot of $2.5 million, the first-place winner took home $1 million. Of what was left, Rodriguez cashed in $750,000 of that prize money. Perhaps the most interesting part about the prize is that Rodriguez signed a one-year $700,000 deal earlier in 2022, which means his competition prize totals $50,000 more than his entire rookie contract.
Big Contract In The Future?
According to Sporting News, Rodriguez’s contract is the highest rookie minimum the MLB has produced. In 2016, the rookie minimum was $507,500. The minimum threshold jumped by $129,500 after the end of the 2021 season with the support of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement for professional baseball players.
While the minimum salary for rookie MLB players may seem impressive, the league still falls below the National Hockey League and the National Basketball League. As far as Rodriguez is concerned, his all-star performance should garner a lot of attention as he seeks to sign more long-term and lucrative deals.
