Mariners star Julio Rodríguez sets MLB record with 17 hits in 4 games

This time last week, you could've said Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodríguez was experiencing a sophomore slump after winning AL Rookie of the Year last year.

Yeah, about that.

With a fourth straight four-hit game Saturday, Rodríguez set an MLB record with 17 hits in four games. He is only the second player in MLB history with four straight four-hit games, joining Milt Stock of the 1925 Brooklyn Robins, per MLB.com's Sarah Langs.

The Mariners won Saturday's game 10-3 against the Houston Astros, with Rodríguez going 4-for-6 with two runs and a stolen base out of the leadoff spot.

As of Aug. 12, Rodríguez was hitting .256/.319/.433 with 19 homers and 27 stolen bases, a perfectly fine situation but well below the expectations most would've had for a player who reached phenom status with an electric rookie year at 21 years old.

Now, in the span of seven games, Rodríguez has bumped those numbers to .278/.337/.463 with 21 homers and 33 stolen bases. He had four hits in the three games preceding that streak of four-hit games, so it's safe to say there's no hitter in baseball hotter than Rodríguez right now.

That hotness has helped Seattle win five straight, 13 of their past 16 and 22 of 33 second-half games. The 68-55 Mariners currently hold the third AL wild-card spot, with a half-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays.