Jason Rogers

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2010
R:  281/368/394, 160 AB, 7 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 20 BB, 32 K, 5-7 SB

Rogers played first in rookie ball.  He hit decently, but at 22 he was very old for the level.

2011
R+:  296/345/444, 27 AB, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 5 K, 0-1 SB
A:  275/336/429, 240 AB, 15 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 22 BB, 48 K, 6-7 SB

Rogers opened the season in low A, but he went out with a broken hamate in late April.  He came back in late June, moving back up to low A after seven games in advanced rookie ball.  The Brewers played him some at first, but mostly in left.  He again hit decently and again was old for the level.

2012
A:  301/384/495, 239 AB, 24 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 37 BB, 46 K, 5-5 SB
A+:  300/416/412, 233 AB, 11 2B, 5 HR, 42 BB, 42 K, 7-8 SB

The Brewers sent Rogers back to low A to start the season, then moved him up to high A at mid-season.  He played mostly first but some in left at both stops.  He also hit well at both stops, with a lot of walks.  His power dropped off after the promotion, but some of that probably was the result of the pitching-dominated Florida State League.

2013
AA:  270/346/468, 481 AB, 25 2B, 2 3B, 22 HR, 59 BB, 86 K, 7-9 SB

Rogers spent the season in AA and started hitting for fairly good power.  He played first exclusively.  Rogers got hot after a bad slump in June, posting an OPS of 1.118 in July and .952 in August.  After the season, Baseball America rated him the 20th best prospect in a weak Brewers’ system.  The Brewers added him to their 40-man roster in November.

2014
AA:  282/355/432, 287 AB, 18 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 31 BB, 56 K, 5-6 SB
AAA:  316/379/568, 206 AB, 11 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 22 BB, 38 K
MLB:  111/200/222, 9 AB, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K

Despite his strong 2013 season, the Brewers sent Rogers back to AA.  He didn’t hit quite as well as the previous year, but he got hot after a late June promotion to AAA.  Being in the offense-oriented Pacific Coast League probably helped.  Milwaukee tried Rogers at third — it was the only position he played in the minors — and he struggled some, committing 21 errors in 122 games.  He had much less trouble after the promotion.  Rogers got a September callup and saw time as a pinch hitters and in double switches.  BA rated him Milwaukee’s 27th best prospect after the season.

2015
AAA:  344/449/607, 122 AB, 8 2B, 8 HR, 24 BB, 23 K
MLB:  296/367/441, 152 AB, 6 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 15 BB, 34 K

Rogers opened the season in AAA, but got called up a week into the season.  He stayed with the Brewers through the end of June, then was called up a second time in early August.  He played mostly first, but also a little in left and at third, at both levels.  Rogers put up big numbers in his limited time in AAA, although he was playing in Colorado Springs, so the stats have to be discounted quite a bit.  He hit well in the majors and it can’t be attributed to Miller Field, as he had an OPS of .714 at home and .887 on the road.

2016
AAA:  263/338/371, 372 AB, 18 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 43 BB, 78 K, 1-1 SB
MLB:  080/303/160, 25 AB, 1 3B, 7 BB, 9 K

The Pirates took a long look at Rogers in spring training.  Among other things, they gave him significant playing time at third.  The additions of Matt Joyce and David Freese, though, ended his chances of seeing much time in the majors.  He was called up briefly in late April, for one day in June, and then for the month of September.  The rest of the time, he played mainly at third and a little at first for Indianapolis.  He didn’t hit well in AAA, with his power largely disappearing.  After a hot April (1.084 OPS), he tailed off, finishing with a .530 OPS in August.  In his limited action with the Pirates, he didn’t hit at all, although he drew a lot of walks.

As a bat-only corner player, Rogers needs to hit for power and he didn’t in 2016.  He could be the sort of hitter who has a power spike around age 26-27 and doesn’t sustain it.  Not surprisingly, the Pirates removed him from the 40-man roster after the season when they claimed Nefi Ogando from Miami.  Rogers cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA.  The team’s decision to call Rogers up in September over Jose Osuna, who was far outhitting him in AAA, was curious, especially since they ended up adding Osuna to the roster and dropping Rogers.  It shows the premium that the Pirates place on veteranosity in bench players.  Rogers was invited to major league spring training in 2017, but he missed much of the exhibition season with an ankle injury.  He’ll head back to Indianapolis.