ORGANIZATION REPORTS
• A Cubs prospect draws inspiration from fellow Dartmouth product Kyle Hendricks. PAGE 42
• Marlins catcher loves it when basestealers test him. PAGE 43
• Undeterred by the Padres’ free agent splashes, a first-round infielder will try his hand at second base. PAGE 45
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Kristian Robinson wants to keep things simple before he starts attacking the more complex aspects of his swing. But the precocious 18-year-old outfielder is already thinking about what he wants to do down the road.
“I think contact is No. 1,” Robinson said midway through spring training. “That’s a basic, fundamental platform. And then from there starting to work on (swing) planes. But I don’t really want to get too much into that because I’m young.
“I’m just trying to hit right now and get as many reps in as I could, so that when I get into games, it’s nothing new and I’m ready to hit any pitch that I see.”
Robinson, who signed out of the Bahamas in 2017 for $2.5 million, might have the highest ceiling of any Diamondbacks prospect. In his 2018 pro debut he hit .279/.363/.428 with seven home runs and 12 stolen bases in 57 games at a pair of Rookie-level stops.
Robinson struck out 26 percent of the time, a couple ticks worse than the average in the Arizona League, where he spent the bulk of last season.
In addition to making more contact, he said he’s also trying to improve his durability for longer pro seasons to come. Robinson found himself wearing down at times in 2018.
Eventually, though, Robinson hopes to tackle more advanced issues. He wants to dig into his hit data, figure out what zones and pitches he struggles most with and find ways to adjust his swing.
He pointed to the swing changes J.D. Martinez had to make mid-career, saying he’s hoping to get those out of the way while he’s still in the minors.
“I don’t want to be at that point where I’m struggling (in the majors) and now I have to try and fix everything,” Robinson said. “I want to see if I can fix it down here… so that when I get up there I’m already an elite hitter and now it’s just adjusting to what pitchers are doing.”
Robinson remained in extended spring training when the season began, but he could join low Class A Kane County before long.
—NICK PIECORO
ATLANTA BRAVES
Cristian Pache was one of the last remaining non-roster players in big league camp. The Braves saw plenty of promise in the 20-year-old center fielder.
Pache, a Gold Glove-caliber defender whose development at the plate will determine his ceiling, hit .359 with two home runs in 24 spring games.
The Braves signed Pache out of the Dominican Republic in 2015. He hit his first pro homer in 2018—nine of them, in fact, in season spent primarily at high Class A Florida—then added 10 pounds of muscle before camp this year.
“It’s been really cool to watch this kid the last three years—how he’s grown physically and mentally, where he’s at right now in said. “And, shoot, he’s not even scratched the surface of where he’s going to go.
