To most, the Philadelphia Phillies' center fielder is a one-trick pony, but that trick is one of the most elite skills in MLB.
Johan Rojas, 24, burst onto the scene in 2023 with his excellent defensive play, high motor and energetic personality. During his time with the major league squad, he has made his mark with some outstanding, breathtaking catches and defensive efforts.
Offensive struggles continue to find Rojas as he looks for a way to find his niche in the lineup, but these uncertainties have not affected his glove at all. He ranked in the 95th percentile for range in the MLB during his rookie year and still finished in the 93rd percentile in 2024 while playing 120 games.
Go get it, Ro!!! pic.twitter.com/lm71TAor66
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 27, 2024
Rojas makes tracking fly balls look effortless in centerfield, making many great plays look routine. While he fields his position extremely well, there are still a few balls that the kid needed to kick it into second gear to save a hit.
Johan Rojas dominated the countdown of the Phillies’ best catches of 2024
During the offseason, the Phillies release a culmination of different highlight films, top five or 10 lists, and anything that can help the fans remember the great moments during the season. In the Phillies' best catches of 2024, the Dominican native not only dominated but completely took over the list.
All of the top-five catches, or catches with the lowest probability were plays made by Rojas, including two different plays with under a five percent chance to haul it in, as well as four catches with less than five seconds of time between the release of the pitch and it hitting the back of his glove (opportunity time).
Rank | Dis. covered | Opp. time | Catch prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
5 | 62 feet | 3.7 sec | 20% |
4 | 90 feet | 4.6 sec | 15% |
3 | 87 feet | 4.9 sec | 10% |
2 | 98 feet | 5.2 sec | 5% |
1 | 72 feet | 4.2 sec | 5% |
Each play consisted of a different challenge, whether it was running almost 100 feet in less than five seconds or having to time his jump into the crevasse of Citizen Bank Park in left-center field. For every play that Rojas made like that, he made five others look much easier than they should. It, of course, helps when you run 30.1 feet per second, good enough for the 100th percentile in MLB.
Since his first game in the majors, Rojas has been in the upper echelon of defenders in the entire MLB. Having a team with great defenders such as Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh makes Rojas' takeover of the hardest catches of the season for the squad even more impressive.