The Chicago Cubs are focused on winning big this year and would seemingly have all the horses in place right now to do that. But they still have an eye on the future…and that future is making some big noise in spring training.
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20-year-old shortstop Jefferson Rojas has been turning heads as their youngest non-roster invitee– and absolutely killing the ball in the process.
On Wednesday, the kid from the Dominican Republic crushed a 438-foot home run against the Milwaukee Brewers that left everyone in awe. So far, this spring, he’s hitting .318 with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs in 24 plate appearances.
Rojas is no stranger to being the youngest player on the field. Since being signed as a 16-year-old, he’s been steadily moved up the Cubs’ farm system, ahead of schedule, because of his advanced hitting prowess. He’s now, once again, playing up to the level of his older, more mature teammates– only this time at the major league/spring training level.
Jefferson Rojas is killing it
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“Jefferson’s made a great impression,” manager Craig Counsell told media. “Just being able to see Jefferson two years ago, and where we’re at right now — wow…We’ve got a good offensive player here that’s going to impact the baseball and do some damage. He’s going to be a dangerous hitter.”
Cubs 2025 breakthrough pitcher Cade Horton has faced Rojas seven times in the minors and Rojas has homered three times off him.
“He’s really skilled for his age, and just really mature for his age,” Horton told the Chicago Sun-Times. “So I’m happy to have him on our team.”
Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly is similarly in awe of Rojas’ development. He previously marveled at the young talent’s raw ability, but is now seeing some real maturity built off of solid hard work. As a matter of fact, he recently commented to the Chicago Sun-Times that he had to double check Rojas’ age when he saw how well he was performing.
“A lot of the work that he’s done down in the minor leagues is getting into his legs and using his lower half and creating a little bit of posture,” Kelly said. “So, his swing path is really cleaned up, and just the overall efficiency of his swing, where it is right now, is generating some output. He’s hitting the ball really hard — much harder than what I thought or expected from him, especially in a major-league camp at 20 years old.”
On a quick rise to the majors?
Rojas, the Cubs’ no. 5 prospect per MLB.com, just started his Double-A run with Knoxville at the end of last season, so there’s some time to go before fans might see him at Wrigley. He also had some struggles as he moved up.
But those concerns are offset by how great he’s looked this spring as he’s worked alongside major leaguers and high-level prospects.
Scouting reports show that his “average” defensive ability at shortstop may mean that second base could likely be his spot when/if he makes his way to the majors. But Rojas is where he is because of his bat and his big league hopes will ride or die based on how well he hits at Double-A and above.
For now, though, the kid has impressed and he’s definitely leaving his mark in the minds of Cubs coaches.
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