When the Los Angeles Dodgers stormed back in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, the spotlight should have been on their galaxy of superstars like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, or Freddie Freeman.
Yet, in one of baseball’s most poetic twists, it was 36-year-old veteran infielder Miguel Rojas who delivered the season’s defining swing.
In the top of the ninth, with the Dodgers trailing the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3, Rojas turned on a full-count slider and smashed it into the left-field seats. That improbable home run tied the game and set up the Dodgers’ eventual 5-4 victory in extra innings, clinching their second consecutive World Series title – a feat no MLB team had achieved in a quarter-century.
But the most astonishing part of the story isn’t just that clutch moment, it’s how close Rojas came to never getting the chance. Earlier in the season, he was nearly designated for assignment (DFA), a move that could have ended his Dodgers tenure entirely.
During an appearance on the JM Baseball podcast, Rojas admitted that in mid-June, while slumping badly, he texted his agent fearing the call was coming: “I thought I was getting DFA’d. I wasn’t hitting. I wasn’t playing much. It was a dark time.”
Those struggles were real. From May through August, Rojas hit just .171 with one home run in 41 at-bats, then endured a 63-at-bat homerless drought. With the team also stumbling , going 22-30 from July 4 through mid-September, there was speculation that Los Angeles might move on from him. Yet, the veteran kept grinding, leaning on his defensive reliability and clubhouse leadership to stay on the roster.
From almost forgotten to forever remembered
When October arrived, that persistence paid off. Rojas quietly found his rhythm in the postseason, batting .278 across eight games. But nothing hinted at the thunder he’d bring in Game 7.
His ninth-inning blast wasn’t just a personal triumph, it was his second career postseason homer and his first since 2020. As if that wasn’t enough, he made a highlight-reel defensive play in the bottom of the ninth, fielding a tricky grounder and throwing home to save a potential walk-off run.
The moment was so cinematic that even Shohei Ohtani couldn’t help but joke afterward: “Miggy, you can’t retire next year. You’re playing with me for ten more years.”
Rojas’ future with the Dodgers remains uncertain as he enters free agency, though reports suggest the team is considering bringing him back on a one-year, $7 million deal. For a player who nearly lost his roster spot, that’s quite a turnaround.
As catcher Will Smith put it after the championship: “He’s one of our leaders. We want him back. You can’t teach what Miggy brings.”
For Rojas, the 2025 World Series wasn’t just a crowning achievement – it was a redemption arc for the ages, proof that perseverance can still change the course of a franchise and a career.
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