Miguel Rojas highlights last year's NLDS loss to Padres as driving force behind Dodgers division-winning season - "That bothered guys a lot"

In a recent interview with the Athletic, LA Dodgers star Miguel Rojas spoke about how the team losing the 2022 NLDS to the San Deigo Padres fueled their hunger to do better this season. A recent addition to the roster, Rojas is said to have brought in some leadership in the clubhouse.

Not a lot changed in the NL West this season as the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the division for yet another year. But after a disappointing postseason finish last year and initial hiccups, LA found their footing on the back of some fiery clubhouse talk.

The Dodgers were, for a while, out of the first place in the NL West. From mid-May till their series against the San Francisco Giants in July, they had a 12-18 record that set in fear of them missing out on the postseason.

This required Rojas, around early June, to gather up some other veterans and come up with a permanent solution to boost the team's morale. Much of this pep talk also surrounded last season's NLDS 3-1 loss to San Diego after a franchise record 111 wins in the regular season.

“That kind of bothered guys a lot, not being able to move on from that series,” Miguel Rojas said.

Since then, Rojas and the rest of the senior players decided to start a winning tradition, as the Dodgers needed to acknowledge the value of winning each series. They would gather one person each from the pitching staff and the lineup to talk to the entire roster after the series concluded. They would also select a series MVP amongst themselves and evaluate what they could do better.

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Dodgers also started the famous tequila celebration around this time

Choosing an MVP and acknowledging their win wasn't the only celebration the Dodgers started this year. In Miguel Rojas' phone, there are multiple pictures of the team celebrating together after a series victory, with each player taking a shot of tequila. The brand of the tequila might have been different per the club's players, but the feeling has been the same.

“It’s kind of refreshing for us to realize that what we do over here is pretty special. It’s not something that happens with ease. So celebrate the wins when they come," Max Muncy said.

The Dodgers have a bye into the NLDS again this year and await the winners of the NLWS between Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks.