VERONA, Wis. (WMTV) – Wisconsin native Ben Rortvedt is catching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, a milestone years in the making for the former Verona Area High School standout.
“Oh, from the time that he was this big, his first word was ball,” his mother, Kim O’Leksy said of her son’s earliest days.
Wisconsin native Ben Rortvedt rises from Verona to the World Series with Dodgers(Kim O’Leksy)
Rortvedt grew up outside Madison, attending Verona Area High School in Verona, Wisconsin. Drafted in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins, he developed into a valued catching prospect.
“From this big, he said that he was going to be a baseball player, a professional baseball player. And I would always say, you need to have a backup plan. And he would say, there are no backup plans,” O’Leksy recalled.
His former high school coach, Brad D’Orazio, said Rortvedt’s early maturity set him apart.
“He was physically developed. You know, as a freshman he started from day one and his work ethic… the combination of talent and work ethic, I don’t think people realize what he gave up to get as good as he did,” D’Orazio said.
Despite the promise, the road had its bumps. His mother noted: “This year he started out really well and then he started to go in his slump and then all of a sudden, he was DFA’d and it’s like you wonder if his career is over or not.”
But when the opportunity came, Rortvedt didn’t hesitate. In 2025, after being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, he found himself into a starting role when the team’s top catchers went down with injury.
Wisconsin native Ben Rortvedt rises from Verona to the World Series with Dodgers(Kim O’Leksy)
“He’s downplaying everything. Like I talked to him two nights ago and I said, oh my God, Ben, this is so exciting. And he goes, it’s just another series. It’s just another series,” O’Leksy said, reflecting on the World Series stage.
And while the Dodgers may not be Wisconsin’s home team, the Rortvedts still bring a bit of Brewer blue to the ballpark.
“My husband wore a Rortvedt jersey and a Brewer shirt underneath it. And I was debating about wearing a Brewer’s hat and a Dodger shirt, so I just wore dark blue. I figured I was safe,” O’Leksy said with a laugh.
She added that the family has adjusted their loyalties for now.
“ You kind of have to at this point, don’t you? The Brewers are out of it. Now I just want LA to win and go all the way,” she said.
D’Orazio said he hopes Rortvedt’s story continues to inspire young players in Verona.
“And there’s one thing that I hope that our guys would be able to take from that is be able to look at him and see, you know, what can happen in the span of a few months. And when something negative happens, you turn into a positive and you end up in the World Series,” he said.
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