Outfield prospect Kristian Robinson is one of the three hitters the Diamondbacks are sending to the Arizona Fall League. In seven games, he’s batting .269 with a home run and a .829 OPS, the latter mark leading the group. While there was no specific aspect in his game he’s focusing on, he’s looking to develop more consistency in his game.
“Just more consistency in my game,” said Robinson. “Showing up every night and helping the team win in any way that I can every night. I’d say more specifically on the hit side, just that consistency again.”
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Robinson missed out on three years of reps between the 2020 and 2022 seasons. The first year was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the following two were due to a felony assault conviction in 2020 kept him from getting a work visa and playing for a D-backs minor league affiliate. He was able to get a visa in May 2023.
With that much missed time, it can be an easy trap to press and try to make up for the lost reps he’ll never get back. However, he’s focused more on approaching the process on a day-by-day basis, a sign of the maturity the young man has developed.
“We had this conversation at the beginning of Spring Training. One thing that was said was trying to win every single day. We see it in a lot of different ways in our organization, it’s taking the 1%, it’s just trying to win every single day and taking the positives out of every single day. That’s how I look at it. I try to come in every day with the mentality I’m getting better and sometimes it can be a lot more satisfying with having success on the diamond at night, or during game time. Other times it’s the learning process which we’re not too favored of but I think it’s the more revealing and satisfying process in the long run.”
In 2023, he had an encouraging return. He spent most of the season with Low-A Visalia but also had a stint with High-A Hillsboro before finishing the year with Double-A Amarillo. Overall, he hit .282 with 13 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and a .926 OPS. That season served as a key milestone in his career, as he could now focus on his career as a professional baseball player.
Following a shoulder injury in spring, he played the entire year with Amarillo. Returning from the shoulder issue on April 23, Robinson played 110 games with the D-backs’ Double-A affiliate. The numbers weren’t pretty, as he batted .214 with a .687 OPS. Underneath the surface numbers was a bit of a disturbing trend, as he struck out 150 times in 419 plate appearances (35.7%).
“On a ground level, they have a plan, they can execute that plan more efficiently than the young guys. They defer from that plan a lot less frequently and if I’m not locked in on what I need to do to have success in the matchups, it’s going to show. That was something that stood out and moving forward I think that propels me to just stay prepared every moment, every second in the middle of the game.”
Despite some of the struggles, the 2024 season can still be viewed as a positive. He’ll have an opportunity to play a healthy amount of games between Double-A and the fall league. As he gets more experience, he’s grown more comfortable handling the grind of a minor league season and trying to reach the major leagues.
“I think I’ve found my groove for the most part. I think one big win I took from the year was that I was durable. Thankfully enough after the setback in Spring Training, I was able to stay out and be available to play. That’s a lot easier said than done. It took a lot of time, learning, and adjustment to realize first step how do I stay out there, how am I able to play every day or play when I’m called upon. As it goes beyond that, it was how do I learn myself a little bit better to get the same output on Day 1 as Day 10 of straight games before an off day, how do I maximize my performance every single night to get the desired result.”
At 23 years old, there is still youth and upside left from the former top prospect. A good showing in the fall league could put him back on Arizona’s 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft in December and put him on the map for a potential late-season debut in 2025.
