Marlins have found their franchise player in Miguel Rojas

Miguel Rojas grew up a fan of the Florida Marlins when he was a young boy growing up in Venezuela.

Teal was his favorite color and on the weekend where he finally got to wear the very uniform of the 1997 World Series champion Marlins, the shortstop slugged a leadoff home run in back-to-back games. Ironically, the Marlins were throwing back to a year in which their opponent, the Arizona Diamondbacks, didn’t exist.

Rojas became the first player to deliver consecutive leadoff homers since Hanley Ramirez on July 17-18, 2006, a year in which he won the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

“That’s a great way to start the games, not just for me, but for the whole team to have success,” Rojas said. “Finding our power stroke, it’s been really good to watch. All the credit goes to the pitching staff, keeping us in the game. I feel like we’re playing really good baseball lately.”

The Marlins started the season 10-31 feeling hopeless at the plate despite seeing potential palpitating on the mound. They turned the corner on May 17 and went 30-32 the rest of the way. Part of that turn around involved Rojas taking command of the shortstop position and the leadoff spot in the batting order. In 40 games batting leadoff, he slashed .298/.335/.416 with all three of his home runs hit in that position.

“Miggy has been really good, kind of all year long,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s taken over short, defensively. He had a little stretch where it got off track offensively.

“In the leadoff spot, he’s stayed the same. Now, all of a sudden, we’ve seen a little more power recently, which he showed last year. Obviously, we don’t want him to force that, but that will happen for him. He just kind of keeps making good contact, and having solid at-bats.”

Those numbers from the leadoff spot are in line with his .290/.343/.718 slash line on the season. In his fifth year with the Marlins, the 30-year-old has emerged as the leader of the team. The initial process of the Marlins building project led to many household names being traded in order to stockpile talent and replenish the farm system. While some of the trades were motived by money, others were done by the request of the player himself. Had Christian Yellich and JT Realmuto not express their desire to leave Miami, they would most certainly be central figures of in the team’s project.

No established player wants to be a part of a rebuilding project after years of trying to contend with the same team, however, Rojas does. He sees improvement this young team is making and how the moves of the front office are starting to bare fruit, especially on the pitching side.

“I’m all in this project right now, and this organization,” Rojas said. “Whatever they preach, and whatever they’ve brought to the table. I’m all in, and I really wish I can stay here because I found here in Miami a home away from Venezuela. For me to be part of this organization, this franchise from now on, would be great.”

He’ll be eligible for free agency after the 2020 season, which makes him an understandable trade target by contending teams that need the extra push to reach the playoffs. Who wouldn’t want a veteran infielder who can play all four spots and bat leadoff proficiently? However it would it would be bigger for the franchise to keep Rojas for the long term and have him continue to lead the young core as they trend towards being a contender themselves.

“I think, when we’re ready to win, and we’re ready to be in the playoffs, that’s going to be huge for the organization,” Rojas said.

The Marlins celebrated a time where the franchise was on top of the baseball word this past weekend. It is now known for low attendances and trading household names. They can not afford to continue the trend of trading their better players for prospects just because they are close to their 30’s or are a year away from free agency. If this franchise is going to change its narrative, extending Rojas would go a long way.

It just makes too much sense for a franchise that is run by a legendary shortstop known at “The Captain” to have a team led by a shortstop that could eventually be its longest ever tenured player.