This ridiculous stat proves just how valuable Miguel Rojas is to Dodgers

Miguel Rojas has never exactly been known as a go-to guy at the plate. He's had years when he hit pretty well (he batted .304/.392/.496 in the shortened2020), but none with any especially exciting flashes of power. More often than not, he's failed to display much of an ability to get on base, apart from a bunch of singles. When the Dodgers traded for him, they undoubtedly knew this — he came over from Miami after posting a .236 average and .605 OPS in 2022 — but he also had the defensive prowess to make up for it.

Going into 2023, the Dodgers had lost Trea Turner in free agency and were hurting for a starting shortstop. They traded for Rojas, a veteran in Miami, who then put up a batting line that was almost identical to his previous years. Luckily, he also proved himself as one of the most valuable defensive players in the game, with 6 OAA in 2023, putting him in the 91st percentile of all position players.

However, something has seemed to click to at the plate for Rojas this season. He was relegated to a bench role at the beginning of the year after Mookie Betts' move to shortstop, but has filled in more there in Betts' absence, while also occasionally taking turns at second and third.

He's still an elite defensive player (6 OAA, 95th percentile), but he's also batting .284 with a .764 OPS through Monday night's game, and he might be the Dodgers' good luck charm, considering they can't seem to lose when Rojas gets a hit.

Dodgers are 23-0 when good luck charm Miguel Rojas gets a hit

The Dodgers took on the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field for the first of three games on Monday night, with LA facing hot trade candidate Garrett Crochet. The bats on both sides didn't seem to be working through the first innings, then Rojas came up at the top of the fourth and promptly singled. He did the Dodgers one better in the seventh, with the game still nil-nil, and reached second on a double before scoring on a Kiké Hernández double.

In what might be his best start of the season, James Paxton kept the White Sox scoreless through five and the bullpen took over to keep the game a shutout. The Dodgers' two extra runs after the Hernández RBI were enough to take it for LA.

Rojas is destined for the bench again when Betts returns or if the Dodgers get a new shortstop at the deadline, but if they send Gavin Lux packing, then it might behoove them to play Rojas at second on a more regular basis. He's clearly good for it.