Mel Rojas
Born: 12/10/1966 in Bajos de Haina, San Cristóbal, D.R.
MLB Debut: 1990-08-01 | Final Game: 1999-07-01
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 175 lbs
Full name: Melquiades Rojas
Biography
Mel Rojas was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1990 to 1999. Born in 1966, Rojas made a name for himself in Major League Baseball, showcasing his skills primarily as a relief pitcher. He played during a dynamic era of baseball characterized by offensive explosions and the increasing reliance on bullpens. Rojas finished his career with a record of 34-31 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.82, highlighting his effectiveness on the mound.
Rojas was known for his ability to dominate hitters, accumulating a total of 562 strikeouts throughout his career. He also excelled in closing games, securing 126 saves, which underscored his role as a reliable option in high-pressure situations. His contributions to the teams he played for left a lasting impact, as he became a key figure in the late 1990s relief pitching landscape. Rojas's career remains a testament to the importance of specialized roles in modern baseball, as he effectively adapted to the demands of the game during a transformative period in its history.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 31 | 525 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 126 | 667.0 | 591 | 283 | 65 | 254 | 562 | 3.82 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | WSN | NL | 3 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 40.0 | 34 | 16 | 24 | 26 | 3.60 | - |
| 1991 | WSN | NL | 3 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 48.0 | 42 | 20 | 13 | 37 | 3.75 | - |
| 1992 | WSN | NL | 7 | 1 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 100.7 | 71 | 16 | 34 | 70 | 1.43 | - |
| 1993 | WSN | NL | 5 | 8 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 88.3 | 80 | 29 | 30 | 48 | 2.95 | - |
| 1994 | WSN | NL | 3 | 2 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 84.0 | 71 | 31 | 21 | 84 | 3.32 | - |
| 1995 | WSN | NL | 1 | 4 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 67.7 | 69 | 31 | 29 | 61 | 4.12 | - |
| 1996 | WSN | NL | 7 | 4 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 81.0 | 56 | 29 | 28 | 92 | 3.22 | - |
| 1997 | CHC | NL | 0 | 4 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 59.0 | 54 | 29 | 30 | 61 | 4.42 | - |
| 1997 | NYN | NL | 0 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 26.3 | 24 | 15 | 6 | 32 | 5.13 | 545.8 |
| 1998 | NYN | NL | 5 | 2 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 58.0 | 68 | 39 | 30 | 41 | 6.05 | -1493.5 |
| 1999 | DET | AL | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.3 | 12 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 22.74 | 0.0 |
| 1999 | LAD | NL | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 12.60 | - |
| 1999 | WSN | NL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 16.88 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 525 | 59 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0.119 | 0.119 | 0.136 | 0.254 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | WSN | NL | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1991 | WSN | NL | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1992 | WSN | NL | 68 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.067 | 0.0 |
| 1993 | WSN | NL | 66 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.083 | 0.0 |
| 1994 | WSN | NL | 58 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.200 | 0.0 |
| 1995 | WSN | NL | 59 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1996 | WSN | NL | 74 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.375 | 0.0 |
| 1997 | CHC | NL | 54 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1997 | NYN | NL | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1998 | NYN | NL | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1999 | DET | AL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1999 | LAD | NL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1999 | WSN | NL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 525 | 0 | 44 | 81 | 6 | 5 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | MON | P | 23 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | MON | P | 37 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | MON | P | 68 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 1 |
| 1993 | MON | P | 66 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 1994 | MON | P | 58 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 1995 | MON | P | 59 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 | MON | P | 74 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 | CHN | P | 54 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 | NYN | P | 23 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | NYN | P | 50 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 1999 | DET | P | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | LAN | P | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | MON | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 525 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | LAN | NL | $4,583,334 |
| 1998 | NYN | NL | $4,583,333 |
| 1997 | CHN | NL | $4,583,333 |
| 1996 | MON | NL | $2,025,000 |
| 1995 | MON | NL | $1,300,000 |
| 1994 | MON | NL | $850,000 |
| 1993 | MON | NL | $300,000 |
| 1991 | MON | NL | $115,000 |
| 1990 | MON | NL | $100,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $18,440,000 | ||