Ever since the Oakland A’s traded away top prospect Addison Russell to the Chicago Cubs, there has not been much talk about any prospects reaching the major leagues any time soon. However, some of them are fairly talented. Now with Russell gone, lets take a look the Oakland A’s new #1 prospect – Daniel Robertson.
The Oakland A’s drafted Robertson in the first round in June of 2012 – he was the Athletics second pick after Russell. Even though Robertson had just graduated from Upland High School, he demonstrated some great raw talent. His tremendous growth over the past two years has not gone unnoticed and it is even rumored that the Oakland A’s felt more comfortable trading Russell due to Robertson’s potential as a shortstop. He now plays for the Midland Rockhounds, which is the Athletics Double A team in Midland, Texas.
Robertson’s main strength is his bat. Not only does he have a strong, short swing, he also has the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions while at the plate. Robertson is regularly pounding line drives into the outfield. This past season, Robertson had a .873 OPS and had 170 total hits. Just in August, Robertson hit .368. As his strength grows, he could be a major power hitter once he rises to the majors.
Even though Robertson is not the best runner, he does make quality plays at shortstop because he has great instincts. Additionally, he has a very strong arm, which is a nice change from A’s 2014 shortstop Jed Lowrie who has a below average arm for the shortstop. As Robertson continues to work his way up in the Oakland A’s farm system, hopefully he can work on his speed in the infield.
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There has been talk that the A’s may want to put Robertson at second or third when he comes to Oakland, but they will most likely test out some different positions during spring training in 2015. Robertson was a utility man in high school, so it probably will not be hard for him to play at numerous positions. However, if they do make a position change, it will not help the Oakland A’s fill their need for a shortstop but it will still add a power bat to the lineup.
Baseball America calls Robertson the most “well-rounded” A’s prospect and ranks him seventh in the California League. Robertson will most likely not reach the majors until 2016, but his report card so far has glowing reviews. When he does make it to the majors, he will be a great addition to the Oakland A’s.
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This article Oakland A’s prospect profile: Daniel Robertson appeared first on isportsweb by Sam Riley