Monday, September 21

SEATTLE -- Julio Rodríguez is going environmental with his next philanthropic effort, which may be his most ambitious -- and potentially rewarding -- yet.

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The Mariners’ center fielder said recently that he hopes to provide aid in cleaning the waterway that runs through his hometown in the Dominican Republic this offseason, extending upon his annual efforts in that region that have become an integral part of his baseball journey. 

“How I remember it to be when I was a kid," Rodríguez said. “We created a lot of memories in that river. That's where I learned how to swim and all those things. And I just want to be able to leave my hometown in a better spot.”

His more recent efforts in his homeland included the donation of an ambulance after his rookie season in 2022, a massive toy and baseball/softball equipment drive after ‘24, as well as rebuilding the house of an elderly woman whose home in Cabarete had been recently flooded that year, and the complete refurbishing of his childhood baseball facilities after ‘25.

The latest endeavor, tentatively slated to take more shape this winter, has already included correspondence with D.R. president Luis Abinader about how to make the area more habitable to the region -- and a center for people to gather. 

The Salto River, which runs through his hometown of Loma De Cabrera, has experienced pronounced contamination since his childhood days.

“I’m doing a lot of different things.” Rodríguez said. “I know what it's like to be from there, to have very limited opportunities in many different areas.”

For all his efforts, Rodríguez is the Mariners’ nominee for this year’s Roberto Clemente Award. 

“It means a lot,” Rodríguez said. “It means a lot just to be nominated for that specific award. I take a lot of pride and enjoy doing things for other people, like helping underprivileged youth and creating opportunities for them. To be in the conversation for that award means a lot.”

The Clemente Award is the annual recognition of an MLB player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions -- both on and off the field. The league-wide winner will be honored at the 2026 World Series following selection by a blue-ribbon panel.

And for the 26-year-old who’s in his fifth full season, this recognition as the club’s nominee has been both a long time coming and could be the first of many.

“I always thought that, whenever I’ll be in the position to give back, that I would do it with no hesitation,” Rodríguez said. “Thankfully, I’m in a position right now where I can give back. That’s why I’ve been doing the things I’ve been doing for my hometown.

"It’s cool to be nominated for this award. But at the end of the day, I feel like the most important thing is doing it for the cause. It’s more important than any recognition that you get.”

Dating back to his days in the Minors, Rodríguez was extremely intentional about giving back to each local community he was playing in, which then extended to the Mariners Care Foundation when he arrived in the big leagues. 

He took it another step further near the end of the 2024 season, when establishing his own charitable initiative -- No Limits Foundation -- whose mission statement is “to spread his love of baseball and create pathways to success for under-resourced youth.”

Since its inception, No Limits has distributed more than $2 million in cash donations, goods and services to underprivileged youth across the globe. Through these efforts, the Foundation has advanced its mission to create opportunities that inspire children to believe in their boundless potential.

“I didn't want it to limit just on the field or just for one particular cause,” Rodríguez said, “because I saw a lot of misfortune around. That's why I wanted to be able to help different kinds of people. It's all the people.”

Much of this all goes back to his upbringing.

“I don't come from a family that has a lot of money by any means,” Rodríguez said. “I'm thankful that, obviously, we had our meals on the table and they were both professional and they pushed me to be better. But I would say the way that they made the most of what they had.”

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