Mel Rojas Jr. On the Move

We have all heard this story a million times. A player makes a failed attempt in the MLB and they go overseas and light it up only to go back to the States. However, the story of Mel Rojas Jr. may be different.

Rojas skipped around MiLB from 2010-2017, but he was never able to make the jump to the big stage. He decided to join the KBO’s KT Wiz. This was a move that the KT Wiz would not regret. He spent four seasons with the KT Wiz and he hit over .300 in each of those seasons. In 2020, he was exceptional; he hit .349 with 47 HR and an OPS of 1.097. He was hands down the best player in the KBO for the 2020 campaign; because of this, he earned the 2020 MVP.

Usually, after a season like that, a player will make the move to MLB especially when they have MiLB experience. It seems as if Rojas is betting on himself as he just signed a 2 year deal with the Hanshin Tigers of the NPB.

The NPB is recognized by MLB front offices as having a high level of baseball which means that Mel Rojas probably sees this move as a promotion. I am sure he will be trying to raise his stock in the eyes of MLB scouts in hopes to fulfill his dreams of, eventually, moving stateside.

This piece was written by Cade Carlson, a common contributor for Globally Ballin with an emphasis on international baseball.