Former Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles was one of the top prospects in baseball when he was working his way through the organization’s minor league system.
He had all of the tools to become an impact player in the Big Leagues, being ranked as high as the No. 2 prospect in the sport by some outlets. From 2016 through 2019, he was an unanimous top 100 prospect, never going below No. 63 and spending most of that time in the top 10. Unfortunately, the upside never fully translated to the Major Leagues.
In 2019, Robles looked like he was on the verge of becoming that kind of player for the Nationals. He had a 4.2 bWAR in his first full-time opportunity with the club, showcasing his immense talent. A sixth-place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year Race was accomplished.
For the rest of his Nationals career, he would produce only 1.4 bWAR across parts of five campaigns. In 2024, the team threw the towel in on Robles, releasing him. Just days later, he was signed by the Seattle Mariners and instantly had a career renaissance.
He put it all together for his new team last year with a .328/.393/.467 slash line with an OPS+ of 153. 77 games were played and 262 plate appearances were made, hitting four home runs with 20 doubles and 26 RBI. He was a menace on the basepaths, stealing 30 bases and being caught only once.
This year has not been as productive for Robles, who has appeared in only 10 games, battling injuries. He has been working his way back, partaking in rehab games recently with a light at the end of the tunnel. However, his return to the Mariners could be delayed again after the dangerous meltdown he had during his most recent outing.
Robles was hit by a pitch thrown by Joey Estes on Sunday. It was the fifth time that he has been hit by a pitch during his rehab outing and emotions got the best of him, to say the least. He reacted in the heat of the moment, launching his bat toward the pitcher. Once he was in the dugout, he threw a caddy of sunflower seeds onto the field as well.
His reaction has gone viral and it is easy to see why. A reaction like that to being hit by a pitch is rare to witness. But, there is some history between Estes and Robles that he has seemingly not forgotten about.
When the two faced off last Tuesday, he was hit by a pitch. When Estes was on the Oakland Athletics last year, he hit Robles with a pitch. Evidently, the third time was the charm for the veteran outfielder to have a meltdown.
He would later take to social media to issue an apology for how he acted. There is a lot of healing that has to be done for him, both physically and mentally. Losing a loved one is never easy and being away from the field because of injury is a diffiuclt thing to handle.
A suspension is almost certainly going to be handed down. There is a chance Robles won’t be back on the field any time soon, as actions such as the one he showed come with consequences.