Jefferson Rojas did not wait long to make his presence felt in the Dominican Winter League. In his second game with Gigantes del Cibao, the Mets’ top-ranked prospect drove two balls out of Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal and supplied three hits in a 7-1 Saturday night victory over Tigres del Licey.
| Team | Runs |
|---|---|
| Gigantes del Cibao | 7 |
| Tigres del Licey | 1 |
Rojas powers Cibao past Licey
The 21-year-old right-handed hitting infielder went deep in the opening inning, attacking the first pitch he received from Vladimir Gutierrez. The offering was a 92.4 mph sinker, and Rojas sent it over the left-field fence.
He returned in the seventh against reliever Luis Frías, catching up with an off-speed pitch and again clearing the wall in left. The two-homer night continued a late-season power surge that began during his regular-season climb through the Mets system.
| Rojas with Gigantes del Cibao | Through 2 games |
|---|---|
| Hits | 4-for-7 |
| Home runs | 2 |
| Runs scored | 4 |
| RBIs | 3 |
| Walks | 1 |
| Stolen bases | 1 |
| OPS | 2.054 |
A strong finish carried into winter ball
Rojas, ranked No. 68 among MLB prospects, hit five homers in his final 11 regular-season games split between Double-A and Triple-A. His full 2026 line included a .274/.338/.505 slash, 57 extra-base hits, 27 home runs, 93 RBIs, 90 runs and 21 steals across 126 games.
He began the year at Double-A Knoxville while still with the Cubs, then joined the Mets at the Trade Deadline in the transaction involving starter Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor. Rojas adjusted from the Southern League to the Eastern League and closed his season with six games at Triple-A Syracuse.
| 2026 regular season | Totals |
|---|---|
| Games | 126 |
| Batting line | .274/.338/.505 |
| Extra-base hits | 57 |
| Home runs | 27 |
| RBIs | 93 |
| Runs | 90 |
| Stolen bases | 21 |
Fast track from the Dominican Republic
Rojas signed for a $1 million bonus out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, and the Cubs moved him aggressively from the start. At 18, he was the youngest regular in the Single-A Carolina League during 2023. He became the second-youngest qualified hitter in the High-A Midwest League at age 19 in 2024, then was the second-youngest everyday player in the Double-A Southern League after reaching that level in July 2025.
That 2025 season showed both the promise and the challenge of the climb. Rojas posted a .278/.379/.492 line in the Midwest League, but hit .164/.279/.205 after the promotion. Back at Double-A Knoxville to open 2026, he had already set a personal best with 15 homers in 91 games before the move to New York.
Now back home for winter ball, Rojas is carrying that improved power stroke into a Gigantes uniform. Two games are only two games, but the left-field seats at Quisqueya have already seen what his finish to the regular season was building toward.
