PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies called up their #6 ranked prospect, outfielder Johan Rojas, on Friday.
Rojas, who was with Double-A Reading, is 22 years old and was signed by the Phillies in January 2018 for just $10,000. He batted .306/.361/.484 with 20 doubles, five triples, and nine home runs for Reading and got the call-up when the Phillies placed Christian Pache on the 10-day injured list with elbow irritation.
Rojas was known more for being a brilliant defensive center fielder before his bat exploded this season for an .845 OPS at Reading. The Phillies are hoping he can be a spark in their lineup as the second half of the season begins.
Connor Thomas, the host of Locked On Phillies, discussed the call-up on the show's latest episode.
Thomas said about Rojas, “There are questions about his bat. He’s only hit nine home runs, so he’s not a power hitter. He’s a speedy defensive outfielder that had a play go semi-viral earlier this season.”
“He’s an outstanding defensive player. He’s going to steal a bunch of bags.” Thomas added that Rojas is similar to the type of player he’s replacing on the roster right now in Pache - a speedy guy who is good defensively.
MLB Pipeline’s scouting report said this about Rojas:
"Rojas has shown he can be an impact player on both sides of the ball thanks to his near-top-of-the-scale speed. He’s an elite baserunner, one who stole 62 bases in 67 tries last season and then went 13-for-13 in the AFL. His speed is an obvious asset in the outfield, where he is a premium defender in center field, one who could be a Gold Glove contender because of his range, instincts, and above-average arm."
This could be a short stay in the bigs for Rojas, who could be sent back down when Pache returns. Still, Thomas said, “This is one of the guys that Phillies’ beat writers and people who follow the team religiously have been talking about for a couple of years now as a prospect that’s been interesting in the Minor Leagues.”
He added that it might be tough for Rojas to get playing time over guys like Brandon Marsh, Nick Castellanos, and Kyle Schwarber, but there are specific tools that Rojas has that can help the Phillies.
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