Cheshire’s Robertson rising in Rangers organization
If Wes Robertson’s name doesn’t come to mind when thinking about the state’s top minor-league baseball pitching prospects, it’s understandable.
At Cheshire High, Robertson was a solid player who earned all-Housatonic League honors his senior year in 2014 — as a catcher. He was lightly recruited by colleges.
“Lightly,” Robertson deadpanned, “would be putting it lightly.”
Washington College, a Division III program in Chestertown, Md., was the only school to offer him, and they only guaranteed him a roster spot for his first year. He’d have to try out and make the team each year after that.
Robertson wound up a threeyear starter for Washington College — again, as a catcher. But in March of his junior season, he tore the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his knee in half while sliding into second base. He missed the next few months, but returned toward the end of the season to get about 10 more at-bats. Unable to squat anymore, and buoyed by some impressive radar-gun readings on his throws to second from behind the plate, he decided to give pitching a try for the first time since he was 11 years old.
“By the third time I pitched,” Robertson recalled, “I kind of realized I probably wasn’t going back my senior year.”
He was hitting 95 MPH on the radar gun, and quickly realized that if the right person saw him, he’d have a chance to sign professionally.
He pitched just three innings for Washington. When the season ended, Bob Turcio, director of the Connecticut Bombers, was able to find a spot for Robertson on the Seacoast Mavericks, a New Hampshire-based team in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League owned by St. Louis Cardinals scout Dave Hoyt. Robertson only pitched about four innings for the Mavericks, but scout were lining up to see him.
The 2017 MLB draft came and went that June without Robertson’s name being called. But he had interest from several teams, and three days after the draft ended, signed with the Texas Rangers.
Robertson played rookie ball for the AZL Rangers that summer, then began the 2018 season in rookie ball once again. Over the past two seasons, he’s jumped through four levels of the Rangers’ minorleague ranks — rookie league, Class A short-season, Class A and High-A, where he’s spent the past month with the Down East Wood Ducks.
“I’m definitely happy with the progress,” Robertson said by phone last week. “It’s funny, if you called me a week ago, it might have been a different conversation. I’ve definitely struggled a little bit since I moved up to High-A. Been met with some resistance, which I haven’t been used to. But I’m looking forward to working with my teammates and coaches to try to figure it out.”
Robertson, who was placed on the Wood Ducks’ seven-day injured list on Wednesday but should be back soon, currently has a 7.50 ERA in seven outings at High-A — largely due to one bad outing, when he surrendered five earned runs in two innings on Monday night. Prior to that, Robertson never had an ERA higher than 1.54 in his four prior stops over the past two seasons, covering 38 outings and 521⁄3 innings.
Not bad for a former catcher who hadn’t pitched in 10 years and only threw a combined seven innings in college and summer league before going pro.
“It’s definitely hard to describe,” Robertson said. “I think I’ve religiously avoided thinking back about where I’ve come from, because I’m still so focused on where I want to get to. What I will say is, whether my baseball career ends in 10 days or 10 years, I’m certain that someday I’ll look back on it all and be pretty proud and also be pretty surprised.”
Robertson’s got some Connecticut company on the Wood Ducks. His road roommate is Joe Kuzia, the Seymour product who’s also had a remarkable road to High-A ball. The two never knew each other prior to joining the Rangers organization but have become fast friends.
Of course, not a lot of people in Connecticut’s baseball community knew much about Robertson coming out of high school.
“I’m sure some people are (surprised), but everybody’s got their own lives that they’re living,” he noted. “Kids I went to high school with are doing great things. The people that are close to me, they’ve been with me the whole time. Not too much has changed.”
Another more high-profile friend Robertson has made lately is Eric Gagne, who saved 55 games and won the NL Cy Young award in 2003 with the Dodgers. Gagne was hired as the Rangers’ rookieleague pitching coach last summer, and Robertson now calls him one of his “closest confidantes” in the Rangers’ organization.
“Having someone to talk to or call or text after outings, or when I see him in Arizona when I see him in spring training, being able to bounce stuff off someone like him has been great,” Robertson said. “We jelled. Obviously, he’s got a ton of information. But he’s also this real cool, funny dude. He saw me throw a couple of bullpens and felt like he could help me out. We’ve just had a very good relationship since then.”
Like Robertson, Gagne didn’t go to a major baseball college (Seminole Junior College in Oklahoma) and eventually signed as an amateur free agent. No one is predicting 55 saves and a Cy Young award in Robertson’s future, but he’s doing pretty well for a converted catcher so far.
GETHINGS BETTER
ALL THE TIME
Speaking of undrafted free agents, Wallingford’s Jack Gethings, who just completed a tremendous senior season at Fairfield University, has signed with the Kansas City Royals. Gethings becomes the 29th Stag to sign a professional contract and the second in the last week, joining teammate Austin Pope, who was drafted in the 15th round by Arizona last week.
Gethings was the first Fairfield player in program history to be named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Year this season while setting program single-season records in hits (88) and leading the MAAC in batting (.364) and triples (seven, also a new program record). He’ll report to the rookie-level AZL Royals in Surprise, Ariz.