The Phillies are rooting for Johan Rojas to be the guy.
He was a game changer in center field. He finished 6th among major league outfielders in defensive runs saved with 15 in 2023. The five players above him played at least 980 innings in the outfield.
Rojas’ defensive prowess put him on the fast track to the big leagues and he impressed enough at the plate to stay there. Across 59 games for the Phillies, Rojas batted .302 with a .342 on-base percentage. Batted ball luck or not, the Phillies saw enough at the plate to feel confident in Rojas heading into the postseason.
Rojas, however, was overmatched in October. He recorded only four hits in 43 postseason plate appearances and struck out 15 times. With two outs and a base open in the bottom of the fourth of Game 7 of the NLCS and the Phillies looking to increase their 2-1 lead, Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt pitched around Brandon Marsh to load the bases and face Rojas.
With no viable options on the bench and a lefty warming up in the pen for Arizona, Pfaadt struck Rojas out on four pitches to end the inning. The Phillies blew their best opportunity to pad their lead. Instead, the D-Backs scored twice in the top of the fifth and left Philadelphia with their first NL pennant since 2001.
It’s unfortunately the lasting memory from Rojas’ first postseason. His incredible catch in the seventh to rob Ronald Acuña Jr. of a game-tying hit in Game 4 of the NLDS was the high mark, but as the rest of the Phillies’ lineup faltered, Rojas’ inexperience was exposed.
As a result, the Phillies are hesitant to anoint Rojas as the Opening Day starter in center field.
Rob Thomson, while speaking with the media from inside the home clubhouse of a snow-covered Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, says the Phillies’ plan is to do what’s best for Rojas’ development.
“Is it best for him to be here and if he’s not swinging the bat well, just struggle? How’s that going to affect him emotionally? Or is it better for him to go down and get 300 at-bats at Triple A and then come back up? It all depends on how he’s playing, how he feels and how it looks during spring training. And if it looks good, then [he’s] got a pretty good chance of making the club,” Thomson said.
And whatever the plan is, Thomson said, they’re going to stick with it. They don’t want to make a panic move and send Rojas to Triple A if he struggles a week into the season.
“If you’re going to make a commitment to him, I think it’s gotta be for a while. You just gotta shut your eyes and let him play,” Thomson said.
Their stance on Rojas puts the Phillies in a strange position in the free agent market. The Phillies could use another everyday corner outfielder in the event that Rojas does not make the team, but they can’t guarantee a significant number of at-bats to any of better free agents available.
Rojas doesn’t have to be a polished hitter to stick in the big leagues. His glove work allows him to carry some flaws at the plate. It’s just a matter of whether or not his bat significantly drags down the rest of the Phillies’ lineup. The fourth inning of Game 7 was the best example of how carrying Rojas could backfire dramatically.
It’s also true that Rojas’ struggles would not have mattered if the bigger bats around him performed to their capabilities. Rojas was 0-for-15 with one walk and six strikeouts in the Atlanta series, but the Phillies got away with it because Nick Castellanos was 7-for-15 with four home runs and Trea Turner was 8-for-17 with four extra-base hits.
It’s why Rojas as an everyday center fielder is an intriguing arrangement for the Phillies. He can make up for the defensive deficiencies around him while the bigger names carry the workload at the plate. The team loves the idea of having Marsh play alongside Rojas in left, but Rojas is also able to cover ground in right center that Castellanos can’t. The same thing goes with Kyle Schwarber, who is expected to be somewhat of a full-time DH, but may have to play some left field barring injuries.
And the good thing for Rojas and the Phillies is that the playoffs do not start on March 28. The Phillies will face the Braves and their high-powered pitching staff, but there is less at stake and the at-bats will be significantly less intense.
At the same time, teams aren’t stupid and they know they can exploit Rojas’ lack of discipline. It’s why developing more patience has to be part of Rojas’ growth as a hitter this season and beyond.
No matter what the results are, you can bet that Rojas is working hard to improve. As Steve Potter of PhilliesBaseballFan.com notes, Rojas has already made it down to Clearwater and is working in the cages with Phillies coaches.
Even if Rojas shows only gradual improvement at the plate in spring training, it’s likely enough for him to make the Opening Day roster.
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