It was at the start of the second half that the Philadelphia Phillies made a rather surprising roster decision. With Cristian Pache being placed on the injured list, they called up one of their top prospects, Johan Rojas, from Double-A Reading.
At the time, it seemed like a move that was made to ensure the club had enough outfield depth. Scouting reports on the now 23-year-old outfielder indicated he was more than ready to play every day from a defensive standpoint. However, his bat was a question mark. A jump from facing Double-A pitchers to Major League arms would be more than a tall task for Rojas.
Many fans started paying close attention to him last season. In 130 games between High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading, Rojas posted a .244/.309/.354 slash line, while going 62-for-67 in stolen base attempts. He was lauded for his defense and speed.
At the start of 2023, it wasn’t known where Rojas would end up. He hadn’t hit all that much in the minors, but was a solid prospect overall. Maybe the Phillies would eventually trade him in a deadline move to put the final touches on their roster before another playoff run now that Brandon Marsh was projected as the center fielder of the future.
Rojas began his 2023 season at Double-A and put together an improved slash line at the dish. Before his promotion, he hit .306/.361/.484 for the Fightin’ Phils with 20 doubles, five triples, nine home runs and 30 stolen bases.
The bat was still a question, though. And while it hasn’t been an insane break out in the batter’s box for the Dominican-born ball player, it’s been a pleasant surprise that’s been paired with elite defense.
On his first Major League play, Rojas wasted no time flashing his leather in front of his new hometown crowd, making a leaping grab that was the start of an impressive double play.
He’s gone on to make a number of other highlight-reel type plays. On top of that, Rojas has 14 defensive runs saved and five outs above average in center field in less than 400 defensive innings.
As for his offense, he put together a three-hit performance in his second big-league game and hasn’t looked back. Through his first 148 plate appearances, he was hitting .299/.338/.425 entering Tuesday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Before the game, he received his 2023 Paul Owens Award for being the best position player in the Phillies’ Minor League system this season.
Back in August, the trade deadline passed without Rojas being moved. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the Phillies were asked about Rojas in trade talks, but they didn’t want to move him because the organization sees star potential in the young outfielder. Dombrowski added, “I’m not sure his time to be a star is yet, but he can contribute.”
It’s safe to say he’s contributed. The argument can also be made that maybe he’s done a little bit more than that. And as for his time to be a star, he certainly shined like one on Tuesday.
Entering the bottom of the 10th, Rojas was 1-for-3 with a single. He stepped up to the plate in a 2-2 game with one out and Pache on second. A Phillies win would send them back to the postseason. Rojas came through.
It was an all around special moment. Not only because of the playoff implications, but because Rojas’ parents, who had never seen him play in the United States before, were in attendance on Tuesday night to see their son play.
It’s clear Rojas will have a role for the Phillies this October. It’s something he imagined during last year’s playoff run.
Speaking with the media after Tuesday’s win, Rojas said, “I watched every single [playoff] game from home [last year]. All I could think of was next year, I really want to be here. I really really want to be a part of this city.”
It’s been quite the year for Rojas.
He started out in Double-A and was directly promoted to the majors without much notice. Upon that promotion, it wasn’t known what type of an impact he’d have and he’s gone on to have quite the impact. In late July, it seemed possible he’d be involved in a trade to help the Phillies acquire a player that would help them come playoff time, but instead, he wasn’t traded and has become a player that will help them come playoff time.
Rojas is here. And he’s here to stay.
Must-read (or watch) Phillies content
- Even after a long night of celebrating, the Phillies won their 89th game of the season last night. Our own Ty Daubert has the recap.
- From Phillies Nation’s Destiny Lugardo: Johan Rojas’ walk-off hit a perfect beginning for what could be another Phillies October run.
- Our own Tim Kelly has the details on Rob Thomson’s announcement on who will start Games 1 and 2 for the Phillies in their upcoming Wild Card Series.
- ICYMI: Phillies Nation’s Nathan Ackerman was kind enough to compile the best of the Phillies playoff clinch celebration.
Former Phillie Nation
- Terry Francona’s first managerial job in Major League Baseball was with the Phillies (1997-2000). While his tenure in Philadelphia wasn’t all that successful, he went on to have a great career, managing in three separate World Series and winning two of them. Now, more than two decades later, Tito is retiring. And he got quite the send off from his hometown crowd last night:
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