Black MiLB Players #1: Kristian Robinson
Background + Path to Professional Baseball
Kristian Robinson is a twenty-year-old Afro-Caribbean outfielder from Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas. Robinson became a professional baseball player when he was 16 years old, signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2017 J2 signing period for international amateur free agents. Robinson was ranked as the 16th best international prospect on MLB.com’s list for the top 30 international prospects eligible to be signed during the 2017 J2 signing period.
Robinson received a $2.55 million dollar signing bonus, which shows how highly the Diamondbacks organization thought of him based on the professional baseball player they think he could develop into. The Bahamas has a long history of developing professional baseball players, but during the 2010s there was an uptick in individuals from the small country getting scouted and signed by MLB organizations. Other notable professional baseball players from the Bahamas include Jasrado “Jazz” Chisolhm of the Miami Marlins, Lucius Fox Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, and Tahnaj Thomas of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bahamas is one of the many smaller Afro-Caribbean majority islands that are becoming hotbeds for international baseball prospects.
Robinson has played two years in the minor leagues(MiLB) and has shown the ability to hit for contact and power, provide value as a baserunner, and play defense in centerfield, which adds to his value. Since becoming a professional baseball player, Robinson has been considered the #1 prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ farm system by many reputed sources and individuals and is also considered a top 100 prospect in all of baseball by a few of these same sources. While Robinson has not played above the Low-A level, he has displayed the talent that makes him capable of being an everyday player with the ceiling of an All-Star.
Player Profile
Kristian Robinson is 6'3'’, weighs 190 pounds, and bats and throws right-handed. So far in his career, Robinson has primarily played centerfield and logged a little time in the corner outfield spots. Robinson is extremely athletic for his size which is a huge source of his appeal as a prospect due to the speed/power combination that would allow him to accrue extra-base hits, provide value on the basepaths, and remain a full-time centerfielder. Positional value on the defensive spectrum is important, as Robinson’s power/speed/defense combo at an up the middle position would make him that much more valuable.
Robinson has long arms, which creates some swing and miss issues that lead people to reasonably question his ability to hit. While he has posted strikeout rates from 25–29%, he offsets this by being able to draw walks at an above-average rate. On-base skills are important, and for someone that is so young and has little experience as a professional baseball player, Robinson’s ability to get on base without relying on making contact is a sign of future success. Combining Robinson’s on-base skills with his athleticism and baseball instincts leads to a projection where he can play in any of the first four spots in a lineup, simultaneously driving in runs and scoring them.
Robinson’s most prominent tool is his ability to hit for power. He possesses elite bat speed and can drive the ball to all fields, hitting three opposite-field home runs in consecutive plate appearances. He hit seven home runs in 256 plate appearances in his first year of professional baseball and hit fourteen home runs in 291 plate appearances in his second year in the minors, albeit at two higher levels. Even at his floor, Robinson could easily put up twenty plus homers on a year to year basis.
Conclusion
Kristian Robinson has an immense ceiling, as his skill set could allow him to hit .280, get on base at around .360, hit forty doubles and thirty home runs, along with stealing twenty bases per year and a BsR above two. This is excellent for any player at any position, but this type of all-around ability from an individual that can play above-average defense in centerfield makes Robinson that much more valuable. Include the fact that if Robinson makes it the majors in a D-Backs uniform, the National League has a plethora of parks with immense outfields where he can chase down flyballs and throw frozen ropes to cut down baserunners. Robinson’s ceiling is an All-Star level centerfielder that can provide value in every facet of the game on an everyday basis.
