Name (Japanese): メル・ロハス・ジュニア
Date of Birth: May 24, 1990
Hometown (?): Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
High School: Somewhere in Mt. Carmel (Illinois)
University: Wabash College (Illinois)
Family Status: Married, one son, one daughter
Position: Outfield
Height: 189 cm (6’3″)
Weight: 102 kg (225 lbs)
Threw/Batted: Right/Switch
Wore #: 24
Originally drafted by: Pittsburgh Pirates, 2010 (Round 3)
Top Squad Debut on: May 8, 2021 vs. Baystars (0-4, 2 K)
Cheer Song:
| Romaji | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ute yo go-kai ni | 打てよ 豪快に | Hit it long-range |
| Sho-ri no ichi geki wo | 勝利の一撃を | An attack for victory |
| Meru Rohasu Junia | メル・ロハス・Jr | Mel Rojas Jr |
| Furu pawa- de tobase | フルパワーで 飛ばせ | Send it flying with all your might |
| Ro-ha-su Ro-ha-su | ローハース ローハース | Rojas, Rojas |
Social Media: Twitter / Instagram
Career Stats:
YR Team AVG GP PA AB H 2B 3B HR TB RBI R K BB HBP S SF SB CS GIDP OBP SLG OPS RISP E 2021 Tigers .217 60 206 189 41 7 0 8 72 21 18 58 15 2 0 0 1 3 3 .282 .381 .663 .171 1 2022 Tigers .224 89 211 183 41 7 0 9 75 27 19 53 22 5 0 1 0 0 4 .322 .410 .732 .154 0 Career .220 149 417 372 82 14 0 17 147 48 37 111 37 7 0 1 1 3 7 .302 .395 .697 .161 1
Brief Biography:
Mel Rojas Jr is the son of former major-league pitcher Mel Rojas. Born in the United States, he went to grade school in the Dominican Republic, spending his summers traveling around the USA with his father. After attending high school in Mount Carmel (Illinois), Rojas moved on to junior college, where he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010. He spent roughly five seasons with the Pirates but was released in 2015. He moved on to the Atlanta Braves organization in 2016 but never made it up to the majors. He was, however, part of the Dominican Republic team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He did not get to start in any games, but saw some game action as a pinch runner and pinch hitter.
Midway through the 2017 season, Rojas signed with the KT Wiz of Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), where he would spend the next 3.5 seasons. His initial half-season saw him end the year with a .301 average, 18 home runs, and 56 RBIs. At his peak with the team, he came close to winning the KBO Triple Crown in 2020, batting .349 (3rd), slugging 47 home runs (1st) and driving in 135 runs (1st). He was selected as league MVP and also won a Golden Glove Award in the outfield. All of this was plenty for him to garner interest not only from teams in Japan, but also some major league teams as well. However, his age (30) and lack of experience in the majors meant he was not guaranteed a major-league spot, so it came down to signing either with the Hanshin Tigers or the Yomiuri Giants. Reports came out that fellow KBO export Jerry Sands helped Rojas make the decision to join the Tigers, saying that the living conditions in Kobe were outstanding for raising a family. Rojas signed a two-year deal with the Hanshin Tigers on Christmas Day of 2020, reportedly worth $2.5 million per season.
Because of Covid-19-related visa restrictions, Rojas was unable to enter the country until April 4, 2021, at which point the season had already begun. He missed camp and also needed to go through a two-week quarantine period before he could work out with his teammates or meet the press. After a couple of weeks on the farm, Rojas received a call-up on May 8, but did not record a hit in his first 21 plate appearances, breaking the club record set the previous year by Justin Bour. His first hit was a monster home run to dead center at Koshien Stadium against the Yakult Swallows in a 6-1 loss. However, due in part to being given a short leash, Rojas never really caught on through the opening months of the season, being sent down and called up twice in the summer months. The Olympic Break provided just the break that Rojas needed. Teammate Jefry Marte used the blank in the schedule to head back to his homeland, and his return (and quarantine) made him unavailable when league play resumed. Rojas stepped up and started hitting the ball really well. His August average was .281 and he hit 4 home runs for the month as well. His numbers for the second half of the season were a respectable .261 with 7 home runs. It would prove to be enough to give the team reason to believe he would succeed in 2022.
Sands’ release meant that the team had just two foreign position player options, and just Rojas in the outfield. This did not lead to a starting job on Opening Day, though, as Yoshio Itoi had a strong spring, relegating Rojas to the bench. Though he hit a home run in his first start of the season, the team lost that game, and Rojas struggled to gain any momentum. He continued to be used sporadically, showing signs of brilliance but also going through stretches of unproductivity. Ultimately, the team sent him to the farm, but soon recalled him in August as the team was decimated with multiple positive Covid-19 cases. He heated up some, even being slotted in the highly honorable #4 slot for a few games. However, Rojas was unable to put together enough strong performances to earn management’s trust. The team announced on October 28 that they would not be signing him to a contract in 2023, and on December 2, he was left off the team’s protected player list.
Related Articles:
The Rojas Jr Interview (February 16, 2022)
Sitting Down with Rojas Jr (July 2, 2021)
Alcantara, Rojas Jr. Meet the Press (April 23, 2021)
Mel Rojas Jr Signs with Hanshin! (December 26, 2020)