Phillies Boss Hints Youngster Will Be Starting Center Fielder on Opening Day

The Philadelphia Phillies seem to know who their starting center fielder will be on Opening Day.

After the 2023 season ended in disappointing fashion, the Philadelphia Phillies were looking at all possible scenarios for how to improve their roster to win their first World Series title since 2008.

One of those was potentially starting Johan Rojas out in the minor leagues.

This statement from Dave Dombrowski caught a lot of people's attention since Rojas completely changed the Phillies' outfield defense when he made his debut last summer.

Kyle Schwarber was moved into the designated hitter role instead of left field, allowing Brandon Marsh to play in that spot and have Rojas use his speed in center.

The 23-year-old was one of the best defenders in the league after he was called up, having a defensive bWAR of 1.7 with 15 defensive runs saved.

But, in the playoffs he was a liability at the plate.

He finished with a slash line of .093/.114/.163, recording only four hits and striking out 15 times.

That performance sparked Dombrowski to hint they might start Rojas in the minors, despite the fact he had a .302/.342/.430 slash line with 45 hits, two home runs and 23 RBI during the regular season.

Philadelphia isn't focused on that portion of the calendar though. They are aiming to win a championship and they need players who can perform in the playoffs.

However, it seems like Dombrowski is changing his tune on Rojas, making an interesting statement during an appearance on 94 WIP.

"Likely yes. Definitively no. So I think the answer would be yes ... I’ve talked to our hitting people at length about his progress over the winter time — he’s worked extremely hard, he’s made adjustments that he needs to make," he said.

This is good new for the Phillies.

They need his defense on the field, and if he can become an even better hitter than he showed in the regular season, then he will be a huge asset.

It's pretty clear that he belongs in the MLB.

Philadelphia seems to know who their center fielder will be on Opening Day.