Rojas jumping at his chance to make a splash

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MESA, Ariz. -- On the Cubs’ backfields earlier this spring, prospect Jefferson Rojas stepped into the box to face Cade Horton during a live batting practice session. Rojas connected with a pitch from last year’s National League Rookie of the Year runner-up and sent it sailing well beyond the left-field fence on Field 6.

A small group of Minor Leaguers had stopped between fields to watch Rojas hit and did their best not to react too loudly. But they all beamed and one declared to the others, “I told you! I told you!”

In camp as a non-roster invitee this spring, Rojas has not only been getting reactions from the teammates who know him from his climb up the system. The 20-year-old infielder has also been opening eyes with the Cubs’ Major League staff in how he has conducted himself behind the scenes, during workouts and on the field.

During Monday’s Cactus League win over the Royals in Surprise, Rojas launched a towering homer (107.5 mph off the bat, per Statcast) off Luinder Avila. Through five preseason games, he has hit .300 (3-for-10) with a walk, three RBIs and a .964 OPS.

It’s a small sample in a spring environment, but there is confidence to be gained and an MLB team to impress for a player who will turn 21 in April.

“Jefferson’s made a great impression,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “This is why you love to see the talented players from [player development] come over, even if they’re not ready to be big leaguers, necessarily. Just being able to see Jefferson at 19 two years ago and where we’re at right now, it’s like, ‘Wow.’

“The maturation, the kind of hitter he’s turned into. It’s really fun to watch.”

Rojas cracked Pipeline’s Top 100 list prior to the ‘25 season and remains among the pack of prospects just outside the current list. He was the Cubs’ No. 3 prospect at the end of ‘25 and should remain near the top when the new team rankings are released on March 3.

Last season, Rojas bounced between shortstop and second base and raked in his 67-game stay with High-A South Bend (.871 OPS). He made the jump to Double-A Knoxville, but struggled offensively in 39 games (.484 OPS) while being nearly four years younger than the average hitter at that level.

Rojas said he has worked on some tweaks to his swing -- focusing on his posture and hand position -- and is trying to make the most of this spring.

“One of the goals is to observe,” Rojas said via team translator Fredy Quevedo Jr. “Observe a lot of the veterans like [Alex] Bregman, Nico [Hoerner], [Dansby] Swanson. They’re infielders like me, so I feel like I can learn a lot from them just by observing them and what they do.”

Asked about the homer off Horton, Rojas smiled wide.

“Before live BP,” Rojas said, “Cade Horton actually told me, ‘Hey, go easy on me,’ because last year I hit a home run off him as well.”

“Jefferson, he owns me,” Horton said with a laugh. “I think I've faced him seven times, probably. And he’s taken me deep three times. One fastball, one on a sinker, and one on a slider. I wanted him to go easy on me. Obviously, he didn’t. Second live BP, he took me deep twice.

“All right, dude. We get it. You’re a good hitter. No, he’s really skilled for his age. And really mature for his age. I’m happy to have him on our team.”