Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
Beyond the talent assembled on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ roster, a lot goes into the prolonged success they have had as an organization.
Plenty of teams throughout baseball history, and even in other sports, have assembled highly talented teams with large contracts, but it has not always worked out.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is a major advantage, but leadership also needs to come from the players. During an episode of “On Base” with Mookie Betts, the Dodgers shortstop and his guest, Max Muncy, discussed how well Miguel Rojas fills that role:
“Miggy Ro is the mic guy, he’s the aux guy. Miggy is the guy that kind of keeps us in order. He does a lot of things you don’t realize you need until he does them. Miggy is the guy for that,” Betts said.
Muncy echoed Betts’ sentiments, giving Rojas a title for what the shortstop described:
“He’s the clubhouse guy,” Muncy added.
For many years, that job was primarily held by Justin Turner. Chase Utley, Austin Barnes, Jason Heyward, and others have also contributed to their strong leadership in previous years, and all of them have created lasting impacts inside the clubhouse.
Rojas was named the winner of the 20th annual Roy Campanella Award last season, which is annually given to the Dodgers player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher.
He also won in 2024, making him the fourth player to win multiple times and the third to be given the award in back-to-back seasons.
Clayton Kershaw (2013-14) and Turner (2017, 2019-20) are the only other back-to-back Roy Campanella Award winners. Overall, Rojas joined Kershaw, Turner and Utley (2016, 2018) as the only multiple-time recipients of the award.
“It means a lot,” Rojas told DodgerBlue.com in 2025. “I take a lot of pride in what my teammates and the guys around the clubhouse think about me, and I always say that I’m a server in baseball. I’m here to do whatever is necessary to win.
“I’m trying not to put myself at the center of attention. I just enjoy the moment that I walk in this clubhouse to provide whatever I can to help the team win and to make everybody better.
“And being voted by my teammates and my coaches, it means a lot, and especially because I lean on them a lot. At some point in the year, I needed to talk to one of the coaches, Kiké and I had a conversation early in the year to kind of keep me on pace to be myself and provide what I can provide as a leader.
“And it’s always important to have your teammates on your side and know that they’re going to have your back, and I’m going to have their back, any possibility that I have, I’m going to be there for them.”
Miguel Rojas providing positive impact on the field
In addition to his value inside the clubhouse, Rojas is also having a strong season on the field.
The 37-year-old is hitting .293/.338/.421 with a 107 wRC+ while appearing at second base, shortstop, third base, first base and designated hitter.
He is expected to retire following the season, but it appears he could play longer if he wishes. Rojas has also left open the possibility of playing longer if the Dodgers complete the three-peat.
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