After winning the Phillies center field job in spring training, Johan Rojas has struggled at the plate. This is not new for the 23-year-old, as he did not play well during the postseason last year. In 13 postseason games in 2023, Rojas had a .093/.114/.163 line with no home runs or RBI. He also struck out 15 times and had a -10.6% cWPA. During the offseason, Rojas worked with Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long to make adjustments to his swing. However, he has not shown any major improvement at the plate this season even after dedicating most of the offseason to work in the batting cage. Thus, it would be wise for the Phillies to option Rojas to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to help him regain his confidence at the plate.
Phillies Should Option Johan Rojas to Triple-A
So far in eight games this season. Rojas has a .045/.160/.045 line with no home runs and no RBI. He has also struck out six times this season, but he does have a stolen base. Currently, Rojas has a -40 OPS+ to go with a -28 wRC+ and a .122 wOBA this season. For comparison, in 2023 he had a .302/.342/.430 line with two home runs and 23 RBI in 59 games. He complemented those numbers with a 109 OPS+ and a 109 wRC+ as well as a .335 wOBA last season. While Phillies manager Rob Thomson and President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said Rojas had to earn the job during spring training, it did not seem like a competition. It was going to be very challenging for someone else to win the center field job.
A Learning Experience
While Rojas has played well defensively, his offensive production does not justify him holding a spot on the Phillies 26-man roster. On the bright side, in 64 career games in center field, Rojas has 16 defensive runs saved. He has the potential to be a Gold Glove outfielder for a long time. However, Rojas needs to show improvement at the plate to be a regular starter for the Phillies long term.
To make improvements at the plate, Lehigh Valley is the ideal spot for Rojas to get reps. He came up directly from Double-A Reading last season after Cristian Pache got injured. As a result, Rojas has not played in Triple-A yet. Given the circumstances, his promotion was necessary at the time. But now, it is best for Rojas to go to Triple-A for some time. For the time being, Whit Merrifield or Pache can join Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos in the Phillies outfield.
Having Rojas spend some time in Triple-A will better prepare him for major league pitching when it comes time to return to the majors. The fact he came to the majors directly from Double-A could help explain his struggles at the plate. Clearly, Rojas has not yet adjusted to facing major league pitching. If he goes down to Triple-A and shows improvement, that should translate to the major leagues when he eventually rejoins the Phillies. In Double-A last season, Rojas had a .306/.361/.484 line with nine home runs and 45 RBI. He also had 30 stolen bases during those 76 games, one notable area where he’s had some success.
Where Rojas Can Improve
One area where Rojas can improve is his strikeout rate. In the majors this season Rojas has a 24.0% strikeout rate and last season had a 25.6% strikeout rate. In the minor leagues, the worst strikeout rate Rojas had was a 19.7% strikeout rate in Class-A during the 2021 season. That needs to be improved the most. More room for improvement comes in the power department. Rojas has not had a double-digit home run season at any individual level while a part of the Phillies organization. Improving in this area will also help Rojas drive in more runs. While in the Phillies organization, Rojas has not had more than 50 RBI within a season at a single level. With a reset in the minor leagues, all that could change down the road. The Phillies should option Rojas sooner rather than later, as it is the best move for both him and the team.
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