2023 Chicago Cubs Top 30 Prospect Wraps: Jefferson Rojas
InsidetheCubs.com will review each of the Chicago Cubs’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com at the end of the 2023 season.
No. 11: SS Jefferson Rojas, Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Class-A), Arizona Complex League Cubs (Rookie)
Statistics for 2023: (71 games): .265/.342/.400/.742 with 48 runs, 14 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 31 RBI, 23 walks, 62 strikeouts, 13 stolen bases.
Season Transactions: Assigned to the ACL Cubs on June 5. Promoted to Myrtle Beach on June 6.
Season Summary: This was Rojas’ first season stateside after his debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2022. He played just one game in the ACL before he was sent to Myrtle Beach, where he posted a solid slash line, scored nearly 50 runs and showed some speed on the basepaths. The strikeout-to-walk ratio is consistent with a young hitter honing his discipline at the plate, and the Cubs are hoping he’ll improve his .935 fielding percentage at shortstop. Still, he started ahead of another shortstop, Cristian Hernandez, for a good portion of 2023.
Road Through the Organization: The Cubs shelled out $1 million to sign Rojas as part of their 2022 international signing class and sent him to their Dominican Summer League team, where he batted .303 in his first pro season. That earned him a move to the U.S. for the 2023 season.
What’s next: Rojas is just 18, and the fact that he’s already playing in the U.S. after one season in the Dominican Republic is proof that the Cubs see him as a potential answer at shortstop, where they admittedly have a good answer at the Major League level in Dansby Swanson. He makes good contact at the plate the Cubs are hopeful he can fill out in 2024 and add some power. His fielding needs improvement, based on his 2023 performance, and he may eventually grow into more of a corner infielder instead of a middle infielder, depending upon how much strength he adds. He’s likely to start 2024 at Myrtle Beach before a potential call-up to High-A South Bend.
2023 Chicago Cubs Top 30 Prospect Wraps:
No. 30: Christian Franklin | No. 29: Brody McCullough | No. 28: Kohl Franklin | No. 27: Pablo Aliendo | No. 26: Porter Hodge | No. 25: Luke Little | No. 24: Jaxon Wiggins | No. 23: Caleb Kilian | No. 22: Josh Rivera | No. 21: Luis Vazquez | No. 20: Cristian Hernandez | No. 19: Brennen Davis | No. 18: B.J. Murray Jr. | No. 17: Haydn McGeary | No. 16: Derniche Valdez | No. 15: Drew Gray | No. 14: Alexander Canario | No. 13: Matt Mervis | No. 12: Michael Arias |
