Johan Rojas had been one of the Phillies' most interesting prospects for a handful of seasons, but he didn't appear to be on the threshold of making a difference for the big-league club last offseason, as he'd reached Double-A for 60 games in 2022 but posted a forgettable 100 wRC+. He was sent back to the same level to open 2023, and his wRC+ jumped to 131 in 76 games, the product of a .306/.361/.484 slash line. That performance earned him a call-up at the start of the second half, and he didn't look back, hitting .302/.342/.430 while starting 40 of the final 72 games. He also went 14-of-15 on the basepaths. While the emergence of a young prospect with speed, contact ability and an excellent glove in center is undeniably exciting for the Phillies, the team pumped the brakes on the hype train by indicating he'll have to fight for the center field job this spring. It took a .410 BABIP to get him to his strong rookie slash line, and his 3.0 percent walk rate and 25.6 percent strikeout rate make for a very worrying combination. He also managed a pitiful 28.3 percent hard-hit rate. Rojas' speed and defense prop up his floor in both fantasy and real life, but his bat may not be ready quite yet despite his 2023 numbers.
