Jefferson Rojas is quickly proving why so many Cubs fans who closely follow the minor leagues believed the shortstop should have been a top-100 prospect heading into the 2024 season. After cracking the top-100 a couple weeks ago, the next Cubs star continues to climb Baseball America's prospect list. In the latest updated rankings, Rojas is now rated as the 47th best prospect in baseball.
The 19-year-old has been fantastic with the South Bend Cubs at Advanced A-Ball this season and people are starting to notice. On Wednesday, the right-handed hitting shortstop extended his hit streak to 16 games and now has a slash line of .318/.366/.435. He has two home runs, five stolen bases and a 119 wRC+ in 20 games.
This point cannot be emphasized enough, Rojas celebrated his 19th birthday on April 25. He's playing against competition that is on average three years older than him and he's putting up great numbers at the plate. That's why he's now No. 47 on Baseball America's top-100 prospects list.
In 2023, Rojas only played in one Arizona Complex League game before he was assigned to A-Ball with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Less than two years after signing out of the Dominican Republic, Rojas was holding his own in the minor leagues and ended his first season of affiliated ball with a .749 OPS in 70 games with the Pelicans.
Now, Rojas is looking like one of the next Cubs stars.
There are only eight players at Advanced A-Ball playing in their age-19 season in 2024 and Rojas either leads or is in second in most offensive categories. Rojas leads the group in batting average, OBP, second in slugging and wRC+, while also having the third-lowest strikeout rate.
During his current 16-game hitting streak, Rojas is slashing .368/.405/.471, an .871 OPS, 140 wRC+ and has 7 multi-hit games in the midst of this great stretch.
Oh and Rojas is pretty good at shortstop too.
You’d like to see some Rojas defense as well I imagine. pic.twitter.com/xFNbJ6SmQO
— Brad (@ballskwok) April 26, 2024
He's only 19, already at No. 47. We're talking top-10 and maybe even top-5 prospect potential for Rojas in the coming years.
The Cubs have a total of seven players in Baseball America's updated top-100 list, which includes five prospects inside the top-50, four in the top-40 and three in the top-30.
20: Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF)
22: Cade Horton (RHP)
28: Matt Shaw (INF)
40: Owen Caissie (OF)
47: Jefferson Rojas (SS)
91: Kevin Alcantara (OF)
93: Moises Ballesteros (C)
Exciting times for the Cubs up and down their organization.
