Rodriguez's contact ability has generated reaction from observers in camp, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Rodriguez spent time with Double-A Chattanooga (82 games) and Triple-A Louisville (53) in 2025 before earning a promotion to the Reds' 40-man roster during the offseason. He slashed .298/.357/.481 with 12 home runs in Double A and .260/.304/.405 with seven homers in his introduction to Triple A. While onlookers are impressed by Rodriguez's ability to hit anything thrown at him, they also feel he needs to be more selective. The soon-to-be 22-year-old outfielder also played offseason ball in the Dominican Winter League, where he slashed .301/.375/.504 with four homers across 128 plate appearances and walked as many times as he struck out (13).