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Wisconsin native Ben Rortvedt rises from Verona to the World Series with Dodgers(Kim O\u2019Leksy)<\/p>\nVERONA, 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, from the time that he was this big, his first word was ball,\u201d his mother, Kim O\u2019Leksy said of her son\u2019s earliest days.<\/p>\n
Wisconsin native Ben Rortvedt rises from Verona to the World Series with Dodgers(Kim O\u2019Leksy)<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom 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,\u201d O\u2019Leksy recalled.<\/p>\n
His former high school coach, Brad D\u2019Orazio, said Rortvedt\u2019s early maturity set him apart.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was physically developed. You know, as a freshman he started from day one and his work ethic\u2026 the combination of talent and work ethic, I don\u2019t think people realize what he gave up to get as good as he did,\u201d D\u2019Orazio said.<\/p>\n
Despite the promise, the road had its bumps. His mother noted: \u201cThis year he started out really well and then he started to go in his slump and then all of a sudden, he was DFA\u2019d and it\u2019s like you wonder if his career is over or not.\u201d<\/p>\n
But when the opportunity came, Rortvedt didn\u2019t hesitate. In 2025, after being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, he found himself into a starting role when the team\u2019s top catchers went down with injury.<\/p>\n
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Wisconsin native Ben Rortvedt rises from Verona to the World Series with Dodgers(Kim O\u2019Leksy)<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s 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\u2019s just another series. It\u2019s just another series,\u201d O\u2019Leksy said, reflecting on the World Series stage.<\/p>\n
And while the Dodgers may not be Wisconsin\u2019s home team, the Rortvedts still bring a bit of Brewer blue to the ballpark.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband wore a Rortvedt jersey and a Brewer shirt underneath it. And I was debating about wearing a Brewer\u2019s hat and a Dodger shirt, so I just wore dark blue. I figured I was safe,\u201d O\u2019Leksy said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
She added that the family has adjusted their loyalties for now.<\/p>\n
\u201c You kind of have to at this point, don\u2019t you? The Brewers are out of it. Now I just want LA to win and go all the way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
D\u2019Orazio said he hopes Rortvedt\u2019s story continues to inspire young players in Verona.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd there\u2019s 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n