LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that infielder Miguel Rojas was named the winner of the 21st annual Roy Campanella Award, which is given to the Dodger player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher. The award, which was voted upon by Dodger uniformed personnel, will be presented to Rojas by Campanella’s daughter, Joni Campanella Roan, and his granddaughter, Akua Campanella, during pregame ceremonies on Thursday night.
Rojas, 37, becomes the second player to win three Campanella awards, joining Justin Turner (2017, 2019-20) and he’s the very first to win three in a row. He’s one of four players to take home the honor multiple times, along with Clayton Kershaw (2013-14), Turner and Chase Utley (2016, 2018). Rojas also becomes the second oldest player to win the award, after Utley (37, 39).
Rafael Furcal received the inaugural Roy Campanella Award in 2006 and since then the honor has been awarded to Russell Martin (2007), James Loney (2008), Juan Pierre (2009), Jamey Carroll (2010), Matt Kemp (2011), A.J. Ellis (2012), Kershaw (2013-14), Zack Greinke (2015), Utley (2016, 2018), Turner (2017, 2019-20), Chris Taylor (2021), Freddie Freeman (2022), Jason Heyward (2023) and Rojas (2024-26).
Rojas has been rock solid at the plate in 2026, hitting .271 with four homers and 22 RBI in 103 games, while batting .297 (43-for-145) vs. left-handed pitching and .287 at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. Defensively, he’s been as steady as ever, starting 36 games at second base (135 chances without an error), 17 at shortstop and three at third while making just one error on the season, good for a .995 fielding percentage.
In 2025, the Dodgers brought the native of Venezuela back for another season, a decision that proved pivotal this season as made starts at second base (43), third base (20) and shortstop (10), before delivering one of the biggest home runs in World Series history. In the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 vs. the Blue Jays in Toronto, his one-out solo homer off Jeff Hoffmann tied the game at 4-4, allowing Los Angeles to comeback and win its second straight World Series with a 5-4 win in extra innings.
Rojas returned to the Dodgers in 2023 and signed a two-year deal, coming back to the organization where he made his Major League debut on June 8, 2014 and as the starting third baseman, helped preserve Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter on June 18, 2014 with a stellar play. After hitting .236 in 2023, Rojas rebounded in a big way in 2024, hitting .283 in 103 games and playing his usual Gold Glove defense all over the diamond. Rojas also provided invaluable leadership to the club last year as he played on a World Series winner for the first time that year.
Rojas’ excellent leadership in the clubhouse is by now common knowledge among baseball fans. The last four years, he’s instituted players-only, series-victory celebratory toasts in the locker room when the Dodgers take a series or record a sweep. Rojas will kick off the toasts with a few words and then throw it over to the “player of the game.” He’s also famous for his mentorship of players both young and old, including Mookie Betts, Alex Freeland and Hyeseong Kim.
The slick-fielding veteran has mentioned that 2026 might be his final Major League season and next year he is expected to transition into a front office job with a focus on player development.
After the club won the National League West last week, Rojas said of his teammates: “This is family to me. These guys kept me positive and kept me going every single day. I can’t thank the guys enough for what they have done for me the last four years. I’m so excited for the opportunity to three-peat with this team.”
Campanella was a three-time National League Most Valuable Player (1951, 1953 and 1955), eight-time All-Star and a member of the 1955 World Championship team. He played in five World Series and his 142 RBI in 1953 set a franchise record, since surpassed by Tommy Davis (153 in 1962). In 1,215 career games during a 10-year career, all with the Dodgers, he batted .276 with 242 home runs and 856 RBI.
He began his career in the Negro Leagues, establishing himself as one of the top catchers in the league before joining the Dodger organization in 1946. Campanella played for Class B Nashua of the New England League, making that club the first integrated affiliated baseball team in the United States.
On Jan. 29, 1958, just as the Dodgers were making final preparations for their move to Los Angeles, Campanella was involved in a tragic car accident that paralyzed him from the neck down, marking the end of his playing career. On May 7, 1959, a Major League record-setting 93,103 fans filled the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on “Roy Campanella Night” for an exhibition game between the Dodgers and Yankees.
He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969 and was among the first three Dodgers to have their uniform numbers retired alongside Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax. Campanella remained active in the Dodgers’ Community Relations Department until his death on June 26, 1993, at the age of 71.
The Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, with nine World Series championships and 26 National League pennants since its beginnings in Brooklyn in 1890, is committed to a tradition of pride and excellence. The Dodgers, baseball’s 2024 and 2025 back-to-back World Champions, are the reigning Sports Business Journal Sports Team of the Year, have been recognized as ESPN’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year and are dedicated to supporting a culture of winning baseball, providing a first-class, fan-friendly experience, and building a strong partnership with the community. With the highest cumulative fan attendance in Major League Baseball history and a record of breaking barriers, the Dodgers are one of the most cherished sports franchises in the world. Visit the Dodgers online at www.dodgers.com, follow them on Twitter @Dodgers and like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Dodgers. For media information, visit www.dodgerspressbox.com