Although he was just promoted to the Kane County Cougars last week, expectations are already high for outfielder Kristian Robinson.
The 18-year-old, who’s the fourth ranked prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, played for Class A Hillsboro during the short-season earlier this summer and hit .319 overall for the Hops with nine home runs and 14 steals. Robinson’s play in Class A, along with his physical prowess, was enough to warrant a promotion to see if he remains consistent against tougher contest.
“He’s definitely a specimen,” Cougars manager Vince Harrison said. “Nice kid, works hard, there’s a lot to like about this guy. He has ridiculous power. He’s crushing ball in BP over the scoreboard into the trees.”
The Diamondbacks organization has been rapidly promoting Robinson since giving him a $2.5 million signing bonus in 2017.
“I was actually kind of surprised,” Robinson said about the promotion. “Being in Hillsboro, I felt like that was already an accomplishment. Being called up is definitely a blessing and I’m thankful for it. The fact they had the trust to move me up a little bit sooner than anticipated is definitely another step in the relationship we have.”
In his first game since being called up, Robinson notched a two-run double in the sixth sinning to power the Cougars to a 3-1 win over Cedar Rapids.
