2018 Draft - Mets Pick #10: SS Manny Rodriguez - Cincinnati

Down The Drive –

           When the season began, Rodriguez started strong, with four multi-hit efforts in UC’s first eight games. At the time, the small sample size police were out in force, but the Bearcats have now played 22 games and Rodriguez has 86 at-bats to his credit. That’s closing in on half a season and its time to stop just chalking up his sudden success to a few good games.

Rodriguez is batting .326 this season, ranking above everyone else on the UC roster. That includes Connor McVey, A.J. Bumpass and even a rejuvenated Kyle Mottice. It’s quite the marked improvement for the senior from Brooklyn. Last season, Rodriguez batted a then career-high .242 in 124 at-bats. He had 30 hits during all of that campaign. In 2018, he has already nearly matched that, with 28 this year.

News Record –

           Born in the Big Apple, Manny Rodriguez of the University of Cincinnati baseball team has always been used to the bright lights. The flashy shortstop was born in Brooklyn, New York, before moving to Baltimore, Maryland, to attend Calvert Hall College High School — an all-boys prep school.

Rodriguez’s nickname might as well be “Mr. Consistency.” The 5-foot-10 senior has reached base safely in 36 consecutive games dating back to 2016-17. In 179 career games for the Bearcats, Rodriguez has started all but one — a game which occurred in his freshman campaign.

UConn Blog –

           Offensively, Cincinnati relies on Manny Rodriguez (.319 AVG/.387 OBP/.622 SLG) and Kyle Mottice (.312/.415/.399). The pair are top-two in batting average, with Mottice pacing the Bearcats in on-base percentage, while Rodriguez is the slugging percentage leader. Connor McVey (.248/.379/.372) joins Rodriguez as the only players with 20 RBI.