After a less-than-ideal 2024 campaign with the Phillies, Johan Rojas is enjoying some success this offseason in the Dominican Winter League.
In 30 regular-season games in the DWL this winter, Rojas, 24, hit .295/.382/.390 in 111 plate appearances. He had six doubles, one home run and 23 stolen bases. Rojas struck out 22 times, or 19.8% of the time. He also had 12 walks (10.8% rate).
After playing the regular season with Gigantes del Cibao, Rojas was drafted by Tigres del Lacey for the playoffs. In his first four games of the postseason, Rojas is 2-for-13 with a home run and three RBIs.
While the level of talent in the DWL isn’t as high as the majors, Rojas having some offensive success isn’t nothing. The 24-year-old hit .243/.279/.322 in the majors last season with a 69 OPS+. Rojas cut down on his strikeouts, dropping his K-rate to 19.0% after it was 25.6% in 2023. But his overall offensive output wasn’t what the Phillies had hoped for.
The bar was set rather low for Rojas at the plate last year. He still didn’t clear it. Being 31% worse than league-average isn’t good enough, even for someone with Rojas’ defensive capabilities. He’ll enter spring training next month without a guaranteed starting spot in center.
The Phillies will likely run one platoon in the outfield in 2025. Center field seems like the spot where two players will split playing time.
After signing veteran Max Kepler earlier this offseason to a one-year deal, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the club views Kepler as their everyday left fielder for 2025. That would push Brandon Marsh, who logged 684 innings in left last year, to center field.
The Phillies have said they think Marsh can be an everyday player. They’ve yet to deploy him as such. He has tended to sit when the club faces a left-handed starting pitcher. A Marsh and Rojas platoon in center field might be the organization’s plan for now.
Most of Rojas’ playing time could come against left-handed pitching this year. Being a late-game defensive replacement and pinch-runner will likely be part of his role, too. While it’s not a flashy job, it’s an important one throughout the six-month season. It’s also a role that might be most suitable for Rojas, especially if he doesn’t show improvements as a hitter.
According to FanGraphs, Rojas was a plus defender in 2024, with four defensive runs saved and eight outs above average. In less innings the year prior, he had an outstanding 15 defensive runs saved and six outs above average. Rojas was also one of the fastest players in baseball with a 30.1 feet-per-second average sprint speed last year. He’s made mistakes on the bases too much at times, but Rojas’ speed is undeniable.
Maybe his success this winter will give him some confidence moving forward, resulting in better outcomes at the plate. That would be a good development for the Phillies and Rojas, who will have to earn his playing time in 2025.
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