Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star third baseman Max Muncy is already feeling nostalgic for his former teammate, Miguel Rojas.
Muncy appeared on Foul Territory on Monday to sing Rojas’ praises and plant the seeds for the next, next chapter of the former Dodgers utility man’s career: MLB manager.
When asked by Foul Territory host and former Major Leaguer Erik Kratz if Rojas would be ready to be a manager as soon as next season, Muncy didn’t hesitate.
“He would definitely be an outstanding manager, there’s no doubt about that,” Muncy said on the baseball talk show. “He just has that ability to have fun with guys, kind of get their ear a little bit, but also be serious with them when he has to, and that’s always the thing you worry about with guys when they become managers. Can they separate being a player and teammate from having to be the disciplinarian and having to make those types of decisions?”
Muncy said that Rojas would have no problem with that aspect of managing, as it was already something he did as a player.
“He held everyone to a high standard when it came to doing your early work, that kind of stuff, and he wasn’t afraid to come up to everybody, check in and be like, ‘Hey, you need to get out here and start working on this,'” Muncy said. “He was already doing that. I think he can make that transition really easily.”
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It was widely reported that Rojas was a de facto coach for Dodgers infielders, helping both Muncy and Mookie Betts improve their defensive readiness and positioning after shifting positions later in their respective careers. Rojas spent a significant amount of time working with Hyeseong Kim after the South Korean star made the move to MLB. He also took Alex Freeland under his wing.
His on-field mentorship and leadership led to Rojas winning three straight Roy Campanella Awards, an honor given to the Dodgers player who “best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame Brooklyn Dodger catcher.”
Miguel Rojas studied Dave Roberts’ methods
Rojas has long been discussed as the most likely Dodger to make the transition to a managerial role, although he’s recently been more vocal about getting his feet wet in the front office.
Current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has never been shy about his affinity for Miggy Ro, often telling reporters and writers that he believed Rojas would have a high-level role as a coach or executive once his playing days were through.
Muncy says his former teammate made a concerted effort as a player to soak up as much of Roberts’ knowledge and expertise as he could, and that could pay dividends if/when he decides to become the skipper.
“He started paying a lot of attention to how [Roberts] ran things, and he started asking a lot of questions,” Muncy said. “He would be great at it.”
Rojas, 37, played his last Major League Baseball game on Oct. 15 in the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. He actually started in place of Muncy during that game as Roberts tried to exploit a potential pitching advantage, but was replaced by Muncy before making a single plate appearance.
After the relatively unceremonious end to his MLB playing career, the 2025 World Series hero told the media, “This is it, guys. This is it.”
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But Rojas has remained busy in his retirement. He recently worked as a Spanish-language correspondent during the World Series, his first foray into sports media. This weekend in Miami, he’ll play his final games as a professional athlete, suiting up for Tiburones de La Guaira of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, taking on Navegantes del Magallanes in the Choque de Gigantes (Clash of Giants) series.
After that, assuming there isn’t a last-second change of heart, Rojas’ playing days will be behind him and he can focus on what comes next, be it a role in the front office, as a media member, or leading his own team from a Major League dugout.
Regardless of where the road is headed, Muncy believes Rojas is ready for what’s next.
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