After being demoted last year, Victor Robles has been given a chance to reclaim his starting center fielder role. While he has been his solid self with his glove, his poor bat skills have been laminated this season.
Robles entered Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates without a hit this season. He was 0-for-18 at the plate with seven strikeouts. His only contribution to the Nats offense was an RBI by getting hit by a pitch with bases loaded.
That is until Sunday. Robles broke his hitless streak, delivering with a two-run single in the second inning that extended Washington’s lead to 3-0.
The hit raised his batting average to .053 on the year. The rare hit by Robles drew a reaction from many.
Once upon a time, Victor Robles was pegged as a five-tool player. Many assumed he would be the mega replacement for a departed Bryce Harper. That projection proved wrong. Juan Soto is cemented as the face of the franchise now.
Robles still had the definition of future center fielder, manning the position when the Nats won the 2019 World Series. But since then, he has been a shell of his early prospects.
His hitting has dropped each year. In 2021, he hit .203/.310/.295 with two home runs and 19 RBIs in 107 games before his demotion.
Early indications point to another struggling down year at the plate. At least he delivered Sunday. Maybe just maybe it’s a spark to a re-emergence?
