The Los Angeles Dodgers have a secret club of veterans, revealed by Miguel Rojas, whose name stems from comments by the San Diego Padres team owner.
The secret Dodgers group
Rojas, appearing on MLB Network ahead of World Series Game 1, said he was close with four key veteran Dodgers: Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Freddie Freeman, and Kike Hernandez.
All five are in their mid-to-late 30s and well into the second half of their careers. They have only a handful of seasons left at the top of baseball, and they were among the main examples of the Dodgers’ roster housing “dinosaurs.”
Oct 14, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas (72) and outfielder Kyle Tucker (23) and third baseman Max Muncy (13) and first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) look on from the dugout during the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Dodgers’ roster age became a big topic of conversation after Padres owner Jose Feliciano, who bought the team a few months ago, said that “the owner of the Dodgers owns a lot of dinosaurs.”
While Feliciano claimed to be talking about Dodgers owner Mark Walter’s dinosaur fossil collection, the comment took on a life of its own, with Dodgers players all wearing dinosaur shirts.
Internally, Rojas and his core four teammates also named themselves after all the talk about the team’s age.
“We’re called the viejitos because they started calling us the dinosaurs, old players, old guys. They didn’t know if we could still do it. In some form, we showed the world that we were able to do it,” Rojas said.
How old were the Dodgers in 2026?
The Dodgers’ average age, roster-wise, was 30.8, sitting highest in the league. The team’s age came from the positional players.
The pitching side has plenty of youth, both organizationally and on the postseason roster.
The “Viejitos” do a fair amount to raise the average age, but other veterans throughout the lineup do little to add youth.
Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) leaves the dugout after losing the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Milwaukee Brewers at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Heading into 2027, the roster’s age remains a big talking point, and fans want the team to get younger.
With Rojas retiring, that already opens a slot for a younger player, while Kike Hernandez’s future is still up in the air.
Dodgers Nation
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