Miguel Rojas (baseball)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Rojas and the second or maternal family name is Naidenoff.
Miguel Rojas
Rojas at the 2025 Dodgers World Series victory parade
Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 72
Infielder
Born: (1989-02-24) February 24, 1989
Los Teques, Miranda, Venezuela
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 6, 2014, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB statistics
(through 2025 season)
Batting average.260
Hits979
Home runs57
Runs batted in363
Stats at Baseball Reference 
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Miguel Elias Rojas Naidenoff (born February 24, 1989) is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played in MLB for the Miami Marlins. In 2025, he became the first player in MLB history to hit a game-tying home run in the 9th inning or later of a World Series Game 7.[1]

Professional career

Cincinnati Reds

Minor leagues

Rojas was signed by the Cincinnati Reds organization as an amateur free agent in 2006 out of Venezuela[2] and played for their affiliates in the Venezuelan Summer League and Dominican Summer League through 2007.[3] In 2008, the Reds moved him to their domestic affiliate in the rookie-class Pioneer Baseball League, where he hit .183 in 61 games.[3]

Rojas progressed through the Reds' farm system, playing for the Class-A Dayton Dragons in 2009, the Advanced-A Lynchburg Hillcats in 2010, the Double-A Carolina Mudcats in 2010 and 2011, and the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos and the Triple-A Louisville Bats in 2012.[3]

Los Angeles Dodgers

Minor leagues

After the 2012 season, Rojas became a free agent and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.[4] He spent the 2013 season with the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Double–A Southern League, where he hit .233 in 130 games.[5] In 2014, he received a non-roster invite to Major League spring training, where he was given a chance to compete for the vacant second base job.[6][7] The Dodgers assigned him to the Triple–A Albuquerque Isotopes to start 2014, where he hit .302 in 51 games.[5]

2014 season

The Dodgers promoted Rojas to the major leagues for the first time on June 6, 2014.[8] He made his major league debut that day as a late-inning defensive replacement.[9] His first hit was a single off Matt Belisle of the Colorado Rockies in his first start on June 8.[5]

Rojas finished the 2014 regular season hitting only .181 with one home run and nine runs batted in in 85 games.[5] He frequently took over for Hanley Ramírez at shortstop late in games for defensive purposes. On June 18, he made an extremely difficult defensive play in the 7th inning to preserve a no-hitter thrown by Clayton Kershaw.[5]

Miami Marlins

On December 10, 2014, the Dodgers traded Rojas, along with Dee Gordon and Dan Haren, to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Andrew Heaney, Chris Hatcher, Austin Barnes, and Enrique "Kiké" Hernández.[10]

2015 season

In 2015, Rojas batted .282 with one home run and 17 runs batted in across 142 at-bats in 60 games.[5] This earned Rojas more playing time the next season as he appeared in 123 games, slashing .247/.288/.325 with one home run and 14 runs batted in.[11]

2017 season

In 2017, Rojas missed 62 games due to a broken thumb, but still appeared in 90 games, hitting for a .290.361/.375 batting line in 272 at-bats with one home run and 26 runs batted in.[5] Rojas also led all NL shortstops in September and October with a .354 batting average and .948 on-base plus slugging average.[12]

2018 season

In 2018, Rojas set career-highs in nearly every offensive category; games played (153), runs (44), hits (123), home runs (11), runs batted in (53), and stolen bases (6).[13]

2019 season

In 2019, Rojas batted .284/.331/.379, with the lowest isolated power in the National League (.095).[5][14] On September 23, 2019, Rojas agreed to a new two-year contract with the Marlins, worth $10.25 million.[15]

2020 season

In late July 2020, Rojas tested positive for COVID-19.[16][17][18] Despite testing positive, Rojas partnered with the company Stadium Custom Kicks during the 2020 season, branding the partnership as Miggy's Locker. The partnership allowed Rojas to design custom-made cleats to express his passion in shoes and basketball.[19] Overall in 2020, Rojas's batting line was all career-highs, with a .304/.392/.496 line on the year to go along with four home runs and 20 runs batted in.[5] Rojas got into a verbal altercation with rookie Jazz Chisholm Jr. after Rojas ruined multiple custom made cleats that belonged to Chisholm, cutting them with scissors and pouring milk in them. Chisholm criticized Rojas calling him a bad team captain and bad teammate saying that behavior like his shows lack of leadership in bringing rookie teammates down.[20]

2021 season

In 2021, Rojas played in 132 games, collecting 131 hits, 48 runs batted in, 13 stolen bases, and a career-high 37 walks.[5] On October 28, 2021, the Marlins signed Rojas to a two-year contract extension worth $10 million.[21]

2022 season

On October 3, 2022, it was announced that Rojas would undergo wrist surgery to repair a torn triangular fibrocartilage complex in his right wrist.[22] He underwent an additional procedure in January after another minor issue arose.[23]

Los Angeles Dodgers (second stint)

On January 11, 2023, Rojas was traded back to the Dodgers in exchange for Jacob Amaya.[24][25]

2023 season

On February 4, the Dodgers announced a contract extension with Rojas that would pay him $5 million for 2024 and included a $5 million club option for 2025.[26][27] While initially expected to be a utility player, Rojas wound up the starting shortstop when Gavin Lux went down with a season ending knee injury in spring training.[28] He played in 124 games, batting .236.[5] He had two hits in six at-bats in the 2023 NLDS.[5]

2024 season

Lux returned in 2024 but moved to second base and Mookie Betts took over at shortstop, leaving Rojas as utility player to start the season before returning to short when Betts was hurt at midseason.[29] He went on the injured list at the end of July with right forearm inflammation[30] and returned August 7.[31] He remained in the lineup until tearing his adductor muscle in late September.[32] For the season, Rojas batted .283 in 103 games.[5] The team voted Rojas the winner of the Roy Campanella Award, which exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher.[33] He started at shortstop for the Dodgers to begin the 2024 NLDS, and had two hits in eight at-bats over the first three games of the series.[5] However, he aggravated a leg injury in the third game and did not play in the rest of the series and was left off the roster for the NLCS.[34] Rojas returned to the roster for the 2024 World Series, but only played in Game 2, where he was hitless in three at-bats.[5] He collected his first World Series championship when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games.[35] After the season, the Dodgers picked up his contract option for the 2025 season.[36]

2025 season: World Series hero

Rojas switched his jersey number from 11 to 72, the number he first wore as a rookie with the team, as part of the team's pursuit of Roki Sasaki.[37] He played in 114 games for the Dodgers in 2025 (68 at second base, 23 at third base, and 22 at shortstop) and batted .262 with seven home runs and 27 runs batted in.[5] After the 2025 National League Division Series (NLDS), Rojas announced he would retire from professional baseball following the 2026 season.[38]

In the postseason, Rojas had three hits in five at-bats in the Wild Card Series[39] and was hitless in three at-bats in the NLDS.[5] After not playing in the first five games of the 2025 World Series, Rojas was inserted into the starting lineup for Games 6 and 7.[40] In Game 6 he made a tough catch at second base to help turn the game-ending double play.[41] In the winner-take-all Game 7, with the Dodgers down by one and only two outs remaining in the top of the ninth inning, Rojas hit a game-tying home run off of Jeff Hoffman.[42] Then, in the bottom of the ninth inning, with one out and the bases loaded, he made a defensive stop at second base on a bouncing ground ball and threw it to home plate for an out, preventing the Toronto Blue Jays from scoring a series-winning run. The Dodgers later won the deciding game in the 11th inning.[43]

Further information: 2025 World Series Game Seven

Rojas' game-tying home run had a 34.91% Championship Win Probability Added (CWPA), which made it at the time the most impactful single-game-tying home run in the 9th inning or later in World Series history (this was later broken by Will Smith two innings later in the 11th inning).[44]

2026: Final season

On December 5, 2025, the Dodgers re-signed Rojas to a one-year, $5.5 million contract.[45] Rojas also announced that it would be his final season as a player and he would remain with the Dodgers in a front office role after the season.[46]

International career

Rojas has played for Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League during the offseason since 2009,[3] which included playing in the 2012 Caribbean Series.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Key moments from the Dodgers' wild World Series Game 7 win over the Blue Jays". The Associated Press. November 2, 2025. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  2. ^ Ritchie, Matthew (March 13, 2023). "Rojas already helping LA on the field and off it". mlb.com. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Miguel Rojas Minor & Winter League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  4. ^ "Dodgers Select Contract Of INF Miguel Rojas". June 6, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Miguel Rojas Career Stats". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. ^ "Dodgers' Miguel Rojas' defense keeps him in second base mix". Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  7. ^ Hoornstra, J.P. (February 15, 2014). "Dodgers trying to add offense to Miguel Rojas' game". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  8. ^ Eric Stephen (June 6, 2014). "Dodgers option Erisbel Arruebarrena to Triple-A, call up Miguel Rojas". truebluela.com.
  9. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers vs Colorado Rockies Box Score: June 6, 2014". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  10. ^ Gurnick, Ken (December 11, 2014). "Dodgers adding Kendrick, Rollins in trades". MLB.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  11. ^ Newcomb, Connor (January 4, 2017). "2016 Marlins Season Review: Miguel Rojas". Fish Stripes. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  12. ^ Sussman, Ely (November 30, 2017). "2017 Marlins Season Review: Miguel Rojas". Fish Stripes. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  13. ^ Kraczkowski, Kevin (December 10, 2018). "Miami Marlins: Miguel Rojas is a Jack of All Trades". Marlin Maniac. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  14. ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2019 » Batters » Advanced Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball".
  15. ^ "Miguel Rojas guaranteed $10.25M in 2-year deal with Marlins". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. September 23, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  16. ^ Lacques, Gabe; Nightengale, Bob (July 28, 2020). "Miami Marlins: 2020 season on pause after COVID-19 outbreak among team". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  17. ^ Breen, Matt (July 27, 2020). "After COVID-19 outbreak, the Marlins decided via group text message to play Sunday vs. the Phillies". inquirer.com. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  18. ^ "Some games postponed after Marlins outbreak". ESPN.com. July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  19. ^ De Nicola, Christina (March 18, 2021). "'Air Rojas' brings personality to kick collection". MLB.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021.
  20. ^ Ardaya, Fabian (March 29, 2025). "Miguel Rojas on Jazz Chisholm's comments about Marlins culture: 'I don't need to defend myself'". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  21. ^ De Nicola, Christina (October 28, 2021). "Rojas' extension 'an easy thing to do' for MIA". MLB.com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021.
  22. ^ Nicola, Christina De (October 3, 2022). "Miguel Rojas to undergo right wrist surgery". MLB.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  23. ^ Franco, Anthony (January 11, 2023). "Miguel Rojas Expected To Undergo Additional Wrist Procedure". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  24. ^ Wexler, Sarah (January 11, 2023). "Dodgers shore up shortstop in trade for Miguel Rojas". mlb.com. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  25. ^ Gonzalez, Alden (January 11, 2023). "Dodgers add to options in infield, acquire Miami's Miguel Rojas". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  26. ^ Toribio, Juan (February 4, 2023). "Rojas, Dodgers reach contract extension". MLB.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  27. ^ "Dodgers extend new addition Miguel Rojas through 2024 season". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  28. ^ Digiovanna, Mike (June 26, 2023). "'I'm capable of more.' Miguel Rojas pushes to be the complete player the Dodgers need". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  29. ^ Getithem, Eva (July 19, 2024). "Miguel Rojas Makes His Intentions Clear About the Dodgers' Shortstop Spot". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  30. ^ Stephen, Eric (July 24, 2024). "Dodgers sign Nick Ahmed with shortstop Miguel Rojas placed on injured list". SB Nation. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  31. ^ Stephen, Eric (August 7, 2024). "Miguel Rojas returns from injured list, Dodgers option James Outman". SB Nation. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  32. ^ Angus-Coombs, Maren (September 26, 2024). "Dodgers Infielder Tears Adductor Muscle, Requires Surgery". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  33. ^ "Miguel Rojas wins 19th annual Roy Campanella Award". mlb.com. September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  34. ^ Ardaya, Fabian (October 13, 2024). "Dodgers leave Alex Vesia, Miguel Rojas off NLCS roster". The Athletic. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  35. ^ Castronice, Anthony (October 30, 2024). "Dodgers upend Yanks with historic comeback for 8th World Series title". mlb.com. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  36. ^ Stephen, Eric (November 2, 2024). "Dodgers exercise 2025 option on Miguel Rojas, per reports". SB Nation. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  37. ^ Chen, Sonja (February 4, 2025). "The story behind Rojas giving up No. 11 for Sasaki". mlb.com. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  38. ^ Duarte, Michael (October 10, 2025). "Dodgers veteran leader announces his retirement after 2026 season as team celebrates NLCS berth".
  39. ^ "2025 Wild Card Series Los Angeles Dodgers over Cincinnati Reds (2-0)". Baseball Reference. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  40. ^ Heyen, Billy (October 31, 2025). "Why Dodgers are starting Miguel Rojas in pivotal World Series Game 6". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  41. ^ Ardaya, Fabian (November 2, 2025). "Dodgers-Blue Jays Game 6 takeaways: Kiké Hernández, Miguel Rojas combine to force Game 7". The Athletic. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  42. ^ Anderson, R.J. (November 1, 2025). "World Series Game 7 live updates: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays score, analysis as Miguel Rojas ties game in ninth". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  43. ^ Axisa, Mike (November 2, 2025). "World Series Game 7 score, takeaways: Dodgers win 2025 Fall Classic vs. Blue Jays". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  44. ^ Szymborski, Dan (November 2, 2025). "A Wonderfully Chaotic Game 7 Ends with the Dodgers as Repeat World Series Champions". FanGraphs Baseball. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  45. ^ Chen, Sonja (December 4, 2025). "World Series hero Rojas rejoins Dodgers on 1-year, $5.5 million deal". MLB.com. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  46. ^ Macofsky, Jacob (December 5, 2025). "Dodgers notes: Miguel Rojas, Teoscar Hernández, Fernando Valenzuela". SB Nation. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
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