The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

MAJOR League Baseball continues its reveal of the top prospects in each franchise and several Bahamian players were featured among the league’s top 10 farm systems.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Tahnaj Thomas made the biggest leap of anyone on the list and is now ranked No.7 in the organisation. He was ranked at No.15 last season.

Thomas told MiLB.com that he worked on developing new pitches this offseason at instructionals in Bradenton, Florida.

The 6’5” right hander said he intends to add his “slurve” and changeup to his 97-99 mph fastball to create a three-pitch arsenal.

The cancellation of Minor League Baseball in 2020 meant the Pirates’ No. 15 ranked prospect missed a season to possibly improve in the franchise’s rankings. Last season with the Bristol Pirates, Thomas got the start on both opening day and in the regular season finale. He finished with a 2-3 win-loss record which also included 59 strikeouts - the most for any Bristol pitcher since 2012.

In 12 starts, he pitched 48.1 innings with a 3.17 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.

In the regular season finale, Thomas allowed just one run on four hits over five innings with five strikeouts in the Pirates’ 4-2 win over the Danville Braves.

Kristian Robinson is ranked No.2 in the Arizona Diamonbacks system. He began the 2019 season at the Class A - Short Season level with the Hillsboro Hops.

In 44 games with the Hops, he hit .319 with 52 hits, 10 doubles, scored 29 runs, 35 RBI, nine home runs, an OBP of .407, OPS of .966, and slugging .558 with 14 stolen bases.

In August, he was called up to the Kane County Cougars, where he concluded the remainder of the season in the Class A Midwest League.

In 25 games with the Cougars, he hit .217 with 20 hits, three doubles, scored 14 runs, 16 RBI, five home runs, an OBP of .294, OPS of .729, and slugging .435 with three stolen bases.

“I have a lot of stuff to work on,” Robinson said when he was profiled by Baseball America this offseason.

“I think having the balance of having good games and then having the struggles, it helps me to continue to stay focused with the development of my swing and keeping it polished and continue to advance when it comes to approach at the plate.”

Robinson was added to Arizona’s 60-man player pool toward the end of last season and the club assigned him to its alternative training site at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona, during the pandemic.

“The biggest obstacle that I had this year was approach. I sort of lost that. Just not swinging at strikes and taking balls,” he said.

“Then timing was another one for me, as well. I think out of everything, it kept me grounded.

“I’m in the offseason now working on my swing because of the struggles that I had last year.”

Lucius Fox was listed at No.26 for the Kansas City Royals.

He is the first Bahamian player assigned for the upcoming season and will begin the year in Triple A with the Omaha Storm Chasers.

Last season, Fox was traded for the second time in his career when the Tampa Bay Rays sent him to the Royals in exchange for outfielder Brett Phillips.

He has been listed at shortstop for the duration of his career but saw time at centrefield, second base, and third base during Spring Training.

He was listed as an infielder/outfielder for the Rays’ 2020 player pool.

He was a member of the Rays’ taxi squad season and was assigned to the club’s alternate training site this season.

He saw playing time during MLB Spring Training and summer camp, most recently in a pair of intrasquad scrimmages ahead of the regular season opener.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox was set to make his 2020 debut in AAA baseball with the Durham Bulls of the International League.

In the previous season, he spent 15 games last season with the Bulls, but spent the bulk of the year with the Montgomery Biscuits in the AA Southern League. He went on to lead the Southern League with 39 stolen bases.

In 119 games last season across both leagues (104 with the Biscuits) Fox hit .221 with a .331 OBP and a .657 OPS.

He totalled 90 hits including 16 doubles, nine triples, three home runs, 34 RBIs, and scored 66 runs.