Shocking Julio Rodriguez Catch To Rob Fernando Tatis Jr.!

This Julio Rodriguez catch shocks Fernando Tatis and all the fans watch, Julio Rodriguez robs a home run hit by Tatis. Rodriguez leaped into the air and snagged the ball before it went over the fence. The Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres were tied up at 0-0. Julio Rodriguez robs Fernando Tatis of the go-ahead home run. Julio Rodriguez (Mariners) is a future star in the game of baseball.

J-Rod reveals he robbed homer, but not until Tatis started his trot. The cover-up from Julio Rodríguez was even more cunning than the crime.

The Mariners’ star center fielder made a remarkable catch over the wall to rob Fernando Tatis Jr. of a home run that fooled everyone at a packed T-Mobile Park on Tuesday night -- so much so that Tatis began his trademark trot around the bases and the Padres fans in the house began cheering. Even Mariners broadcaster Dave Sims echoed on the ROOT Sports telecast that “he did not get it” before erupting in surprise during the fourth-inning sequence.

Only at that point, after taking roughly a dozen paces back toward the infield, did the wide-smiling Rodríguez channel his inner Cheshire Cat by opening his glove while resting it on his left shoulder to reveal the ball.

Celebratory smoke erupted from beyond center field. The home fans roared. And Tatis looked out at his friend and fellow Dominican Republic native absolutely stunned before slowly pacing back to the visiting dugout. The ball left his bat at 108.7 mph, traveled a projected 410 feet and would’ve been a homer in 18 ballparks, per Statcast. But Rodríguez -- who relishes making a home run robbery more than any athletic feat on a baseball field -- ensured that it didn’t.

The robbery was sandwiched between two other impressive -- and completely different -- catches early in the game. Rodríguez ran inward to convert a sliding snag in the third against Garrett Cooper on a ball that had a .560 expected batting average. Although Rodríguez ranks in the 99th percentile in outs above average, inward catches have been his most challenging.

Rodríguez also made a racing grab in the gap on a 102.7 mph line drive from Jake Cronenworth in the fifth, this one with a .600 expected batting average. Rodríguez covered 86 feet in 4.6 seconds to convert a play that Statcast projected with just a 40% catch probability.

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