There is little question as to who will be voted the National League Most Valuable Player. His name is Shohei Ohtani. However, in a Los Angeles Dodgers lineup littered with All-Stars like Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Max Muncy, the role players can often go unnoticed. But every successful team has them. Los Angeles is no exception. The glue that holds the 2024 Dodgers together is Miguel Rojas.
Miguel Rojas: The Dodgers’ Underrated MVP
Deserving of a Gold Glove?
The 35-year-old shortstop plays one of the most demanding positions on the diamond. He has been known for his defense since shortly after he came up with the Dodgers. He plays with panache, making the difficult reps look easy, and the routine ones look effortless. His defensive instincts are second to none. Rojas makes all the plays…or nearly all of them. He has a .992 fielding percentage and a total of two errors for 2024. To be fair, he’s also had a handful of starts at second and third base as well. Rojas’ defense is not lost on manager Dave Roberts either. He called his shortstop’s defense “a game changer.” It is no surprise that Rojas is one of the National League leaders in defensive runs saved.
Offensive Renaissance
A career .230 batting average is excusable when your glove work shines at the shortstop position. However, Rojas has acquitted himself well with the bat this year. He is hitting .294 this season with six homers. More importantly, since August 7, the veteran is hitting above .380 with 12 runs batted in with runners in scoring position. He is the very definition of clutch because he doesn’t try to do too much. He knows how to move the runner over and get the runner in. Furthermore, the Dodgers have needed this version of Rojas this year because of the long injury absences of Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, and even Freddie Freeman, who had a family emergency earlier this year. The Dodger shortstop has been playing injured himself, with a torn abductor muscle that will need to be surgically repaired in the offseason.
An Interesting Stat
At one point this year the Dodgers were 24-0 when Rojas got a hit. It might not be a predictive statistic, but it is reflective of the indispensable contribution of a player not normally known for his bat.
Consummate Teammate
When Mookie Betts played shortstop this year, Rojas was there with words of insight and instructions. Betts and Rojas could be seen hours before game time practicing fielding drills together. The veteran didn’t hesitate to lend a hand, knowing that the perennial All-Star he was helping would take the majority of the playing time. Besides the catcher, Rojas is the first one to the mound to offer words of encouragement to a pitcher struggling to throw strikes. Finally, who is most often behind the Gatorade showers after game-winning hits? None other than MiggyRo.
The Miguel Rojas Show
A Monday night game in September against the Atlanta Braves perfectly exemplifies what this veteran means to the Dodgers. Rojas led off the top of the inning by earning a walk off of left-hander Max Fried. He took second on a ground ball. The shortstop stole third, and then came home on a wild pitch.
Later, Rojas fought off an inside pitch to single to bring Tommy Edman home, and also started a rally with a lead-off walk, before scoring on an infield grounder beating the throw home. His glove work kept the Braves at bay as well.
Roy Campanella Award Winner
Congratulations Miggy on receiving the 2024 Roy Campanella Award! The award is voted on by Dodger players and coaches and given to the player that best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher. pic.twitter.com/EQbhCRGK6c
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2024
Last week, the Dodgers gave Rojas the annual Roy Campanella Award in recognition of his hustle, leadership, and grit. It remains to be seen how successful Los Angeles will be in the postseason. However, there is no doubt it was Rojas and his golden glove that were instrumental in getting Los Angeles there in the first place.
Photo Credit: © Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
