The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN minor league baseball players continue to get recognition from acclaimed media outlets for their projected progression through the league.

Bleacher Report sought out to identify each Major League Baseball team’s “most underhyped prospect” for the upcoming 2019 campaign.

D’Shawn Knowles (Los Angeles Angels) and Kristian Robinson (Arizona Diamondbacks) were both selected to the list for their respective clubs.

Knowles, who celebrated his 18th birthday yesterday, progressed from the Arizona Rookie League to the Pioneer League in just 30 games last season.

“The Bahamas has become a prospect hotbed in recent years with the likes of Kristian Robinson, Jazz Chisholm and Lucius Fox making a name for themselves,” said the Bleacher Report analysis.

“Knowles looks destined to follow the path they’ve forged after hitting .311/.391/.464 with 21 extra-base hits and nine steals in 58 rookie-ball games,” the Bleacher Report analysis said.

“If everything goes right, he has the profile of an everyday centre fielder who hits for a solid average, steals some bases and develops good gap power. The Angels will need to be patient, but he has the tools to prove worth the wait.”

After 30 games in the Arizona League, Knowles received his first promotion within the Los Angeles Angels farm system.

Through 30 games in the AZL, Knowles hit .301 with a .385 OBP, .765 OPS with 14 RBI, 19 runs scored, seven stolen bases and one home run.

He was assigned to the Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League and continued his production for the remainder of the season as MLB Pipeline’s No.25 prospect in the Angels organisation.

With the Owlz, he appeared in 28 games and hit .321 with a .398 OBP, .949 OPS with 15 RBI, 27 runs scored, two stolen bases and four home runs.

Robinson, 18, is one of three Bahamian prospects in the Arizona Diamondbacks organisation alongside Jazz Chisholm and DJ Collie.

“If you’re not familiar with Robinson, get ready to see his name all over top-100 lists this spring,” the Bleacher Report analysis said. “Making his US debut as a 17-year-old, he hit .279/.363/.428 with 12 doubles, seven home runs and 41 RBI in 57 games spanning two different rookie-ball stops, and he’s just scratching the surface.

“With the potential for 60-grade hit and power tools and the speed to steal double-digit bases and stick in centre field defensively, he looks like a star in the making. His $2.5 million bonus as part of the 2017 international class could prove to be the best money the D-backs have ever spent.”

He missed the playoff run with the team he spent the bulk of his rookie season with, but his progression in the Diamondbacks farm system provided a new opportunity late in the season.

In 40 AZL games, he hit .272 with a .754 OPS, .341 OBP, 31 RBI, four home runs, 11 doubles, seven stolen bases and scored 35 runs.

Robinson was then assigned to the Missoula Osprey of the Pioneer League.

With the Ospreys, it took just seven games for Robinson to record the first multi home-run game of his professional career.

In 17 games with the Ospreys he hit .300 with an .886 OPS, .419 OBP, 10 RBI, three home runs, five stolen bases and scored 13 runs.

His promotion to the Ospreys began with a head-to-head matchup against D’Shawn Knowles and the Owlz. Robinson finished 1-4 with one run and one RBI while Knowles was 2-4 with three runs scored in a 7-3 win for the Owlz.

Following the conclusion of training camp in March, Robinson, listed as the No.12 prospect in the Diamondbacks organisation, was invited to extended spring training prior to the regular season. Along with Collie, Robinson helped the AZL D-backs to clinch its first-ever playoff berth in the Arizona Rookie League.

The Pioneer League operates in the Rocky Mountain region and in the past, it also operated in adjoining portions of Canada. It is classified as a rookie league, and is staffed with mostly first and second year players in a short-season league operating from June to early September.

Robinson is hitting 2.73 through seven games with six hits, seven runs, six RBI, three stolen bases, slugging .591 with a 1.019 OPS.