After spending two seasons at Seminole State College, a two-year school in Oklahoma, Rodden moved on to Wichita State and made a very strong first impression with an OPS over 1.000. He turned down the opportunity to start his pro career as the A’s 10th-round pick in 2022 and performed even better for the Shockers in 2023 (1.175 OPS), earning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors. It also helped him jump up to the fifth round, where he signed with the Mariners for an under-slot $200,000. Seattle started him in High-A Everett to kick off his first full season and he hit well enough there to earn a bump up to Double-A a month after his 24th birthday.
Rodden is an undersized switch-hitter with the ability to produce quality at-bats from both sides of the plate. Even though he did hit 17 homers in his final year at Wichita State, and there is some extra-base authority, he has a definite hit-over-power profile. He doesn’t strike out much and draws a good amount of walks.
An above-average runner who is aggressive on the basepaths, Rodden fits best at second base if he were to settle in at one position. It’s more likely he moves around defensively with the chance to fit that over-achieving, gritty utility type of profile in the big leagues.
