by Megan Garcia
When describing the key components of a healthy Dodgers team in the postseason, Miguel Rojas will mention his teammates. Blake Snell and Kiké Hernández top his list.
There’s also Mookie Betts, whose impressive plays at shortstop — like the wheel play in Game 2 of the NLDS — have been game-changing.
At various points in 2025, they’ve helped the Dodgers get to their eighth National League Championship Series trip in 13 years.
But in the conversation regarding the team’s success, Rojas won’t mention himself. Even though his bat (.294 batting average and .898 OPS) against Milwaukee was a bright spot in the winless regular-season series.
“When we came here, we didn’t have Kiké, we didn’t have Blake, we didn’t have a couple of the guys,” Rojas said of their woes against the Brewers. “We were playing a little short on the bench, the back end of the bullpen and the starting pitching. I feel like right now we’re in a really good place to kind of go head-to-head with the best of the National League.”
Rojas has started in two of the five games he’s played this postseason. He’s hitting .375 (3-for-8) so far.
His postseason has resembled a point over the summer where the utility infielder turned his season around after batting .171 in May. Over 15 games between June and July, he slashed .351/.415/.757/1.171 with four homers.
“I couldn’t turn my season around without the help of my teammates and my coaches,” Rojas said. “I had a conversation with Kiké, and we talked about my impact on this team even though I wasn’t playing well. I still had my role. He made me understand that I couldn’t see the bright side of myself. With that and the confidence of Doc and the front office, it put me in the right position.”
The 36-year-old recognized his regular-season role of spot starts and playing off the bench would continue in October. He came to terms long ago that his value to the team couldn’t be measured by numbers. His leadership would be the difference-maker.
His manager agrees.
“He kind of asks me the right questions, and he wants to manage at some point. He’s always trying to learn,” Dave Roberts said. “He’s really helped Mookie’s growth. Really sped up the process because of the nuances of the position and thinking about things that might or might not happen (but they got) ahead of it. It’s good to see. Mookie thinks as a shortstop, and Miggy is a big reason why.”
Rojas mentored Betts in the transition from outfielder to infielder. Betts sought his advice during his first full-time season at shortstop. They spent time during pre-game workouts going through infield drills.
“Really having Miggy has been like one of the biggest blessings in disguise I’ve ever had,” Betts said. “He is so knowledgeable of baseball in general, but especially the position of shortstop. … When you have a teammate that’s actually out there, I can ask him questions during the game, in between pitches, (he) always has an answer, always gives you his best every day.”
Betts tied for the Major League lead with 17 defensive runs saved at shortstop this season. Three years ago, Rojas tied for the lead with 15 defensive runs at shortstop.
Betts gave Rojas some credit for the perfectly executed wheel play against the Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS. Betts said he remembered a conversation the two had in Anaheim in August on when best to try the play. Two months later, it came into play.
It was another example of Rojas’ influence.
2025 Postseason: The immeasurable value of Miguel Rojas was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.