Phillies’ Johan Rojas and the ‘unbelievable’ catch and throw to kickstart his major league career

As they came together in the outfield before the first inning of the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, Nick Castellanos embraced Johan Rojas and imparted some last-minute advice.

“Welcome to the Show, kid,” Castellanos said. “Just do your thing. Be yourself.”

Rojas, it turns out, took Castellanos’ words to heart.

Known for his elite defense in the minors, the 22-year-old center fielder turned in the Phillies’ best defensive play of the season two batters into his major league debut. Rojas leaped against the scoreboard in right-center to haul in a long drive by the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr., a play that would’ve been a highlight by itself.

But then, Rojas turned and uncorked a throw — on the fly — to first base to double off Ha-Seong Kim.

How’s that for a first impression?

“What a first inning he had right there,” Bryce Harper said. “First play in the big leagues. It was an incredible play. I was getting treatment and I was like, ‘Holy crap, he made it!’ Really fun to watch him play.”

But wait, it gets better. In the second game, Rojas notched his first major-league hit — a broken-bat chopper through the middle — and added two more, both of which drove in runs.

“I just hear the ‘bing, bing, bing’ that I’m getting [text] messages,” Rojas said through a team interpreter, “but I think there’s so many, my phone is frozen right now.”

Rojas’ glove preceded him to the majors. Last year, while he was still in Single-A, he confidently said he could play major league-quality defense. Team officials agreed. And when he got called up Friday, Rojas was leading minor league outfielders with 16 runs saved above average, according to Sports Info Solutions.

“You hear it, and you got to see it a little bit in spring training,” Kyle Schwarber said. “But then he comes into the big leagues, and first play he gets. He set a record. He made all three outs in an inning. He did a heck of a job there.”

Not for nothing, first baseman Drew Ellis deserved credit for his lunging tag to complete the play. But Rojas became the first Phillies outfielder to record an assist in his major league debut since Jackie Mayo on Sept. 19, 1948.

From the catch to the throw, it was vintage Rojas, whose wife, brother, and infant son, Johan Jr., were in attendance.

“It was incredible, really,” said Rojas, the youngest center fielder to start a game for the Phillies since Lonnie Smith in 1978. “It was the second batter of the game, and the excitement from the fans was amazing. It was a pretty special moment.”

Said manager Rob Thomson: “Unbelievable. What a way to break into the big leagues. But that’s who he is. He can really defend. He’s as good as anybody, really.”

» READ MORE: Known for elite defense, Johan Rojas’ growth as a hitter could make him Phillies’ future center fielder

At the plate, Rojas has always been a work in progress. He made adjustments to his swing path in spring training and is having a breakthrough season with Double-A Reading, batting .306/.361/.484 with 20 doubles, five triples, nine homers, and 34 stolen bases in 38 attempts.

It’s possible, though, that Rojas will be overmatched in his first exposure to major league pitching. Padres starter Blake Snell struck him out on a nasty curveball in the second inning. Rojas worked an eight-pitch at-bat in the fifth before grounding out to shortstop. He grounded out again in the sixth.

But the Phillies want Rojas to play against left-handed pitchers (he started the nightcap, too, against Padres lefty Ryan Weathers), bring energy on the bases, and catch everything in center field.

There’s not much doubt he will be able to do the latter.

“It was truly an incredible play,” starter Ranger Suárez said through a team interpreter. “Coming in fresh and making a play like that, it says a lot about him. But I’m not going to lie to you. I’m not surprised. I spent some time in Reading and saw him do that pretty much every single game.”

After using Bryce Harper as a pinch hitter for Rojas in the eighth inning of the first game, the Phillies were faced with putting DH Kyle Schwarber in left field in the ninth. Schwarber has been the worst defender at any position in the majors this season.

So, Thomson turned to ... backup catcher Garrett Stubbs.

Stubbs has actually played 32 2/3 innings in the outfield in the majors, including one inning in left field last season, and often runs down fly balls during batting practice.

“I don’t think he’s going to start a game out there,” Thomson said. “But I’m comfortable with him.”

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After swiping six bases through 50 games, Trea Turner has 15 steals in his last 40, including two in the first inning of the first game. He became the fifth active player to reach 250 career steals, joining Elvis Andrus (341), Starling Marte (337), Billy Hamilton (326), and José Altuve (284). ... The Phillies called up righty reliever Luis Ortiz as the 27th player for the doubleheader and sent him back to Lehigh Valley after the games. ... Former Phillies reliever Ryan Madson threw a ceremonial first pitch before the first game. ... Zack Wheeler (7-4, 4.05 ERA) will start the series finale Sunday against Padres right-hander Seth Lugo (3-4, 3.39).