Hard Work Pays Off For Outfielder As Major League Debut Arrives With Blue Jays
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The Toronto Blue Jays announced that outfielder Nathan Lukes would be entering concussion protocol and at the same time they brought up Will Robertson to fill his position, his first time in the Majors.
Right fielder Alan Roden was almost as excited as Robertson was when the news of his contract was brought to light. The two go all the way back to their collegiate days at Creighton University according to Blue Jays reporter Keegan Matheson. Roden made it clear that nobody deserved this opportunity more.
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During this season he has accumulated 12 home runs on a .288 batting average. The Jays had been keeping an eye on his progress, but they had started the year with a stacked outfield. Now that injuries have added up it was his chance to step in.
Robertson joined the minor leagues, starting at Level A, in 2019 per Toronto on MLB. He has played nearly 500 games in the Minor League. Robertson totaled up 77 home runs with a minors career batting average of .243 and on-base percentage of .332. His career-best season totaled 19 home runs, which has happened twice.
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The newest Blue Jay told Matheson, “There were plenty of times where I thought this wasn’t in the cards for me, but I’ve had a really good support system and good teammates, like Davis Schneider and Alan Roden, who have helped me along and given me that support, that confidence to keep going. Now, we’re here. This is surreal.””
When the news came out Robertson's family was already on their way to Buffalo to spend a week there to watch and support him as stated by Matheson. Instead they turned around to see him suit up as a Blue Jay a short two hours from where he grew up.
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The Toronto Blue Jays are currently on a tear posting a 22-10 record over the last 32 games. Robertson has earned his spot on the roster and he is going to contribute to the team, not just ride the bench. They just swept the St. Louis Cardinals and will have a day break before going into action against the Phillies.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.