Mariners' Rodríguez: Winning WBC would mean more than World Series
Julio Rodríguez has a World Baseball Classic title as the top of his wish list.
The Seattle Mariners outfielder and Dominican star revealed Thursday that he'd rather win the international tournament than MLB's biggest prize.
"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 would be top of the list," Rodríguez said when asked if he could pick between securing a WBC championship or a World Series, according to Foul Territory.
"This is for my country. This is for my town. This is for my people, my neighborhood. ... Winning the World Baseball Classic would be No. 1."
The Dominican Republic went 4-0 in pool play before beating Korea on Friday in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals.
The Dominicans have won the event only once (2013) since its inception in 2006.
Rodríguez's Mariners came within one win of their first appearance in the Fall Classic in franchise history, losing to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the 2025 ALCS.