Last October, the magic around Johan Rojas seemed to flutter away.
After 59 regular season games and countless incredible plays and moments, the rookie entered the postseason as the Phillies’ No. 1 option in Centerfield. However, in just 13 games, the question marks reappeared.
Over the course of his 45 postseason plate appearances, Rojas collected only four hits and struck out 15 times, leading to a .093/.113/.273 slash line. The Dominican Republic native came to the plate in several huge spots with opportunities to do damage and failed, leading to a dilemma among fans and coaches: is Rojas’ defensive prowess enough to earn his role in the squad for 2024?
Rojas finished the 2023 season hitting over .300, an impressive mark for any hitter, especially a rookie. While his expected batting average was much lower at .246, his plus-plus speed and base running will allow him added chances at hits and extra bases throughout his career, much like his teammate Trea Turner, who has finished with an xBA equal or lower than his actual batting average in seven of his nine professional seasons.
The major factor hurting the 23-year-old’s offensive game was his approach to offspeed pitches. Rojas’ numbers were drastically different against fastballs compared to offspeed pitches, with a 0.57 drop in xBA and a strikeout percentage of over 45 percent against both the curveball and slider.
