LA Angels: A hometown kid in the big leagues, Jose Rojas is a great story

Jose Rojas is a fantastic story in baseball. The hometown kid will be making his MLB debut in the near future with the Angels after making the team out of spring training.

With Opening Day underway, the Halos are ready to start the 162-game grind with the beginning of the new season. The goal remains the same every year, get back to the playoffs so the league and it’s fans can see Mike Trout perform in October. Most fans can also agree that it would be nice to see World Series-hero Anthony Rendon return to the postseason, Shohei Ohtani put on a two-way performance in October, and Albert Pujols make one more run in what could be his final season. The moral of the story, get back to October baseball.

With the roster set for Opening Day the team will be relying heavily on their bats with hope the rotation can step up and surprise. As they enter the new year it is clear this team will depend on its offensive strength, but do not sleep on the revamped bullpen. Along with the aforementioned names are players who are looking to bounce back in Justin Upton and Dexter Fowler, along with continued contributions from David Fletcher, Max Stassi, and maybe most importantly Jared Walsh.

While the projected lineup is set for the season, the bench will continue to be an important part for this group. Kurt Suzuki was signed to provide valuable depth with Stassi and Juan Lagares won the fourth outfield spot out of spring which makes this team deeper. One player to watch for as a depth-piece is infielder Jose Rojas, 28, who will get the opportunity to make his MLB debut in the coming days.

Rojas name has appeared on this blog before as the Anaheim-native has shown a great ability to hit during his time in the minor leagues. Drafted in the 36th round of the 2016 MLB Draft the 28-year old has gone from a Major League long-shot to a big-league roster.

He now has an opportunity to make an impact on the big club. While he was never a top-100 prospect, Rojas has done nothing but hit throughout his four years in the minors.

Rojas has battled his way through the minors to play for his hometown team.

After being drafted by the Angels in 2016, Rojas went straight to rookie ball and quickly showed his ability to hit. He also continued to show improvement and consistency over his time in the minors. Each time he was called up the bat slowed down, the next year he improved by batting .304 in his second season at Double-A and hitting 31 home runs in his second season at Triple-A.

Even after missing a year due to the pandemic shutting down the minor league season in 2020, Rojas has still come back and had an impressive spring training.

Jose Rojas Last 5 Seasons:

• 2016 Orem (Rk): 250 PA .308/.372/.471 5 HR 31 RBI
• 2017 Mobile (AA): 185 PA .227/.259/.360 4 HR 20 RBI
  • Inland Empire (A+): 339 PA .319/.355/.479 7 HR 50 RBI
• 2018 Salt Lake (AAA): 73 PA .217/.233/.261 0 HR 6 RBI
  • Mobile (AA): 352 PA .304/.381/.554 17 HR 65 RBI
  •  2019 Salt Lake (AAA): 578 PA .293/.362/.577 31 HR 107 RBI
  • 2021 Spring Training: 47 PA .306/.447/.583 2 HR 6 RBI

  

  About a month ago I wrote about how the infield could potentially shape up and when discussing bench spots the common word that I brought up was versatility. Joe Maddon has proven how much he values players that can play in multiple spots. While my belief was Luis Rengifo had a slight edge due to his ability to play shortstop, Rojas power potential and production was an obvious draw for the Angels skipper.

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  Angels: Jose Rojas is the type of player Joe Maddon loves.

  However the decision is also likely attributed to Rojas’ versatility as well. While being a player that has ‘no true position’ Rojas has spent most of his minor league career playing third base but has put in substantial time at first and second base while taking time developing as a corner outfielder as well.

  His bat will get him in the lineup, but being able to play around the field will keep him there.  As a right-handed heavy team, having Rojas’ lefty bat off the bench will be valuable for Maddon along with the fact that he can cover many positions and not depleting the bench. It can also benefit giving guys a day off for either rest or lack of production.

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  While the fans are all excited for the season to start, keep an eye on Jose Rojas as he will be playing for his hometown team. While it is a good story, look for the 28-year old rookie to provide another element for the Angels offense.