Mookie Betts described Miguel Rojas as a father-like mentor and leader whose retirement will significantly affect the Los Angeles Dodgers at the October 16, 2026, press conference.
Betts said Rojas mentored and supported him by watching over his personal growth and making sure he learned everything correctly. Betts recalled Rojas's presence whenever he took the field, saying, "every game I took the field was always there watching."
Betts called Rojas the Dodgers' vocal leader, explaining, "He gets on the mic, make sure we're playing the game hard, holds everybody accountable." He also expressed affection for Rojas through the image of someone who would "kind of like that dad kind of sit over and watches."
Betts noted that Dodgers teammates supported one another, while the team's young players stepped up for Los Angeles and injured players worked to return. He added that the Dodgers had to "figure out our way to take care of business until they got back."
Betts stated that baseball depends on the entire roster, not only the active group, saying, "baseball's not played with, you know, just the 26 guys. It's played with, you know, the whole roster. and sometimes more." He said advancing despite injuries and slumps showed "the camaraderie and the belief that we have in each other," while acknowledging that "whoever wins wins and of course I would love to win every time."