Brothers Alex, Angel, and Jonathan and Christian Rodriguez are also cousins. {Leigh Photography}
By: Matt Rothman
Marjory Stoneman Douglas baseball truly has something special going on again this year.
Not only have they won the past two State and National Championships, but the varsity team features a set of cousins while their younger brothers work their way up on the junior varsity team.
Brothers Christian and Jonathan Rodriguez
Senior Christian Rodriguez is once again one of the top pitchers in the country and is 5-0 this year with an ERA of 1.04. The senior is now 23-1 in his career and has 249 strikeouts in 146 innings while also getting his bat going of late. He hit a grand slam in the win over Grace Christian Academy and has hit two more home runs since. Christian, who will be attending the University of Florida next year, also helped Team USA Win a Gold Medal at the 18U World Cup in 2022.
Christian’s younger brother Jonathan, is a sophomore hitting .357 this year and has an on-base percentage of .538. He also picked up his first win of the season on the mound in the teams’ win against Archbishop McCarthy High School, allowing no earned runs in four innings.
“Watching my brother and my older cousin shine with varsity truly motivates me to become just like them or even better,” said Jonathan. “Looking at their success is amazing, and I am hoping that my cousin and I could keep the Rodriguez name at Douglas well-known for years to come.”
Brothers Alex and Angel Rodriguez
Their cousin Alex Rodriguez, a junior, has the challenge of taking over for former MSD star and second-round pick Roman Anthony. However, Alex has had no problem adjusting and is the team’s leading hitter with a .474 average. He has also led the team with 14 stolen bases and 23 runs as the leadoff hitter and is a UCF commit.
Cousins Christian and Alex Rodriguez celebrate Home Run. {Vale Sandoval}
Alex’s younger brother Angel is also a freshman and shining and has an on-base percentage of .500 with a pair of RBIs, four runs scored, and a stolen base.
“It’s been a great experience, especially playing with my older cousin,” said Angel. “We always push each other to be better than one another. The experience to be playing at the best high school in the nation is truly a blessing.
Angel and Jonathan will be in action on Saturday against West Broward High School, while Alex and Christian will take the field on Tuesday against Bishop Verot High School.
Jonathan Rodriguez. {Skyler Rizzo}
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Author Profile
- Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and then graduated from the University of Florida as a graduate student. He also works for the Mohave Valley Daily News in Bullhead City, Arizona covering high school sports.
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