Editing Alex Rodriguez (section)

====1996–1997====
The following year, Rodriguez took over as the Mariners' regular [[shortstop]] and had his breakout season. He led the [[American League]] (AL) with a .358 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]], the highest for an AL right-handed batter since [[Joe DiMaggio]] hit .381 in 1939 and the third-highest ever for a shortstop. He also had 36 home runs with 123 RBIs.<ref name="ap081216">{{cite news|last=Fusaro|first=Nick|date=August 12, 2016|title=Unlike Jeter, A-Rod leaves Yankees without fans' love|url=http://news10.com/2016/08/12/unlike-jeter-a-rod-leaves-yankees-without-fans-love/|access-date=August 12, 2016|work=[[WTEN]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> At 21 years and one month, he was the 3rd youngest AL batting leader ever behind [[Al Kaline]] (20) in 1955 and [[Ty Cobb]] (20) in 1907, and the third-youngest player in history with 35+ homers. He was also the first major league shortstop to win a [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|batting title]] since 1960, and the first in the AL since 1944. At age 20 years, 11 months, he was the youngest shortstop in [[MLB All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] history. He also led the AL in runs (141), total bases (379), and [[double (baseball)|doubles]] (54) and ranked among the league leaders in base hits (second, 215), extra-base hits (second, 91), multi-hit games (third, 65), slugging (fourth, .631), RBI (eighth, 123), and on-base percentage (eighth, .414). Rodriguez posted the highest totals ever for a shortstop in runs, hits, doubles, extra-base hits, and slugging, and tied most total bases, and established Seattle club records for average, runs, hits, doubles, and total bases, in a season that statistical analysts consider the best ever by a shortstop.<ref>{{cite web|author=Sheehan|first=Joe|author-link=Joe Sheehan|date=September 7, 2001|title=Aurilia makes sure Giants aren't one-man show|url=http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/bp/1249068.html|website=[[ESPN]]|publisher=}}</ref>

The ''[[Sporting News]]'' and [[Associated Press]] selected Rodriguez as their Major League Player of the Year. He finished second to [[Juan González (baseball)|Juan González]] in balloting for the [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award]]. He finished three points behind González (290–287), matching the second closest AL MVP voting in history.<ref name="b-r 96 MVP">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1996.shtml |title=1996 Awards Voting |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=March 12, 2014}}</ref>

In 1997, Rodriguez batted .300 with 23 home runs and 84 RBIs. He [[hitting for the cycle|hit for the cycle]] on June 5, becoming the second Mariner, and at 21 years, 10 months, the fifth-youngest player in history, to accomplish the feat.<ref name="b-r cycle">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET199706050.shtml |title=June 5, 1997 Seattle Mariners at Detroit Tigers Box Score and Play by Play |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=March 11, 2014}}</ref> He was the fan's choice to start the [[MLB All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] at shortstop for the AL team, becoming the first player other than Ripken to start at shortstop in 13 years. It was the first All-Star start of his career and his second All-Star Game in two years.<ref name="b-r 97 All-Star">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1997-other-leaders.shtml |title=1997 American League Awards, All-Stars, & More Leaders |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=March 12, 2014}}</ref>