Under the Radar Blue Jays prospect: Will Robertson

On Wednesday, the Toronto Blue Jays called up outfield prospect Will Robertson.

It seems only fitting that this week’s edition of Under the Radar prospect is the 27-year-old. If you missed last week’s edition, we looked at 2023 draftee Grant Rogers. Robertson has been in the Blue Jays’ system for seven seasons now, as they drafted him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft out of Creighton University.

The outfielder had a successful professional debut with the then Short-A Vancouver Canadians, slashing .268/.365/.404 with six home runs in 263 plate appearances for a 125 wRC+. Like all prospects, he missed the 2020 season due to the pandemic. That said, Robertson ranked as the Jays’ 26th-best prospect at the end of the 2020 season.

When the minor league season returned in 2021, Robertson struggled with the Canadians, slashing .235/.310/.385 with five home runs in 248 plate appearances for a 94 wRC+. He also hit a home run with the Florida Complex League Blue Jays, but it was a disappointing season for one of the Blue Jays’ best power hitters.

Robertson’s 2022 season was even worse when he reached Double-A. With the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Robertson slashed .215/.291/.401 with 12 home runs in 340 plate appearances for a 89 wRC+, while hitting three home runs in 24 extra plate appearances in the lower levels.

His 2023 season, also with the Fisher Cats, started disappointingly, with Robertson slashing .174/.280/.364 with eight home runs in 218 plate appearances for a 77 wRC+. But something changed from July 3 until the end of the season, as Robertson slashed .318/.371/.619 with 11 home runs in 194 plate appearances for a 165 wRC+. The second half of his season skyrocketed his wRC+ from 77 to 118.

Thanks to a strong 2023, Robertson became a notable prospect in the Jays’ system thanks to his power. He also earned a promotion to Triple-A for the 2024 season, where he slashed .226/.319/.429 with 19 home runs in 464 plate appearances for a 95 wRC+. While his 19 home runs were tied for the second-most in the organization, he had an incredibly high strikeout rate of 31.3%, as his game suffered from inconsistency.

It’s safe to say he’s righted those concerns so far this season. Through 191 plate appearances, Robertson slashed .288/.408/.583 with 12 home runs for a 159 wRC+. More impressively is the fact that his strikeout rate has dropped all the way to 24.1%, while his BB% sits at 16.8%.

Time will tell if Robertson will have a permanent spot on the Blue Jays’ roster at any point this season, but the 27-year-old has become one of the best power hitters in the organization and one to keep an eye on.