Johan Rojas
Johan Rojas was one of the pleasant surprises the Phillies had during their 2023 season when he was brought up mid-season to help solve their outfield problem. Both Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber had been huge liabilities with their atrocious outfield defense, and the Phillies needed a viable solution before they ended up throwing away their season.
Removing Schwarber from the field and planting him in the DH spot paved the way for Rojas to make his major league debut in July.
Rojas ended up providing the much-needed defensive stability in the outfield, with his elite abilities on full display day in and day out. In just 57 games in the field, he registered an astounding 15 DRS, leading the team by a mile, along with a strong .986 fielding percentage.
He also fared admirably at the plate, hitting a strong .302 with 24 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, two home runs, 23 RBI, and 14 stolen bases, although his high 25.6 percent strikeout rate left a bit to be desired. However, his bat became exposed during the postseason when he hit a paltry .093 with 15 strikeouts in just 43 at-bats in 13 playoff games.
For the 2024 season, Rojas will likely start the season on the major league roster as the Phillies envision having him, along with Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos, as their main outfield core on Opening Day. However, although Rojas’ defense is second to none, if he hasn’t drastically improved his bat to ensure it's MLB-ready, there's a good chance he may see time in the minors for further development.