Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 29: Will Robertson

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Aug 27, 2024, 06:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 26, 2024, 22:41 EDT

The prospect we’ll look at today leads the Toronto Blue Jays minor league system in home runs.

This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual Mid-Season top prospect list, where we’ll look at the 35 best prospects in the Blue Jays system. We’ll look at the player’s stats, my observations, and other publication’s scouting reports if available.

Let’s take a look at our 29th-best prospect, Will Robertson!

Getting to know Will Robertson…

Position: Outfield

Bats: Left

Born: December 26, 1997

Acquired: 4th-round, 2019 draft (Blue Jays)

Previous ranking: 48

For the first time since the 2019 season, there will be a new home run leader in the Blue Jays minor league system due to Orelvis Martinez’s suspension. Right now, Will Robertson is the frontrunner.

Selected all the way back in 2019, Robertson made his professional debut shortly after being drafted, slashing .268/.365/.404 with six home runs in 263 plate appearances with the Short-A Vancouver Canadians. It was a different time.

His first full season came in 2021, mainly playing with the High-A Vancouver Canadians, where he slashed .235/.310/.385 with five home runs in 248 plate appearances, along with a 6.9 BB% and a 30.2 K% for an 88 wRC+. A bit worrisome for a 23-year-old at the level.

Robertson’s power really came on in 2022, as he slashed .227/.299/.433 with 15 home runs in 364 plate appearances between the FCL Blue Jays, Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays, and the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Moreover, his K% dropped slightly to 28% while his BB% increased to 7.7%.

Repeating the Double-A level in 2023, Robertson slashed .245/.323/.488 with a career-high 19 home runs in 412 plate appearances, along with a 9.7 BB% and a 26.5 K% for a 118 wRC+. That doesn’t tell the whole story though, as Robertson struggled from the beginning of the season until early July.

From July 3 to the end of the season though, Robertson slashed .318/.371/.619 with 11 home runs in 194 plate appearances, along with a 7.7 BB% and a 29.9 K% for a 164 wRC+.

Robertson’s 2024 season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons has also been quite streaky, starting the season off hot before the power dried up. Of course, he now leads the organization’s minor league system with 19 home runs thanks to heating back up. Overall, the 26-year-old outfielder is slashing .227/.321/.454 with 19 home runs in 386 plate appearances, along with a 10.6 BB% and a 31.1 K%.

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5:25 PM · Aug 25, 2024

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Robertson’s power is immense, as the left-handed batting outfielder stands at 6’1”, 215 lbs. His hit tool lags behind as he’s never going to hit for average and has strikeout problems. Defensively, he plays in the corner outfield more often than not, picking up six assists to two errors in 487.2 innings in right field this season, along with two assists and three errors in centre and one assist in left.

He’ll be Rule 5 eligible (again) when the Winter Meetings roll around in early December and he’s a solid candidate to be added to the 40-man roster. In fact, there’s a chance he’ll be added to the 40-man roster and called up when rosters expand in September, albeit outfielders like Nathan Lukes and Jonatan Clase have a better chance to be added to the 28-man roster thanks to already having a spot on the 40-man roster. Moreover, Alan Roden may have a higher probability of getting the call-up thanks to his improved power and excellent hit tool.

Still, the power is notable, and Robertson is a player to watch next season, especially if he can lower his strikeout rate.