For Victor Robles and the Mariners, a much-needed fresh start

Victor needed Seattle, and Seattle needed Victor

In 2017, Victor Robles was a consensus top-ten prospect in baseball. FanGraphs had him the top prospect in the Nationals’ system, ahead of Juan Soto (also, shoutout to current Mariner Austin Voth, #15 on that list). MLB Pipeline had him as the eighth best prospect in all of baseball, just behind a Phillies shortstop named J.P. Crawford. Robles drew praise for being a “pure” hitter and for his incredible sense of the zone—it’s popular ret-conning now, given their career trajectories, to say Robles learned his sense of the zone from Soto, but Soto came up a year after Robles, so maybe it’s the other way around—and was considered one of Washington’s “untouchable” players in trades, even as the club began to sputter following a thrilling World Series championship in 2019.

By 2022, the Nationals were in such dire straits they traded their superstar for a full reset—only that superstar wasn’t Robles, but his teammate Juan Soto. The once-untouchable Robles scuffled through a few more seasons with Washington, missing time with back spasms and other assorted injuries, before being designated for assignment in late May when the Nationals activated Lane Thomas off the IL. The departure of Robles represented the departure of the last position player standing from that World Series-winning club.

A free agent for the first time in his career, Robles had multiple offers, but chose to sign with Seattle, having seen the team recently over a three-game stretch in Washington where the Mariners dropped the series but still managed to make an impression on Robles, who said he liked the “vibes” around the club.

His instincts have paid off well. Washington was already in the process of fading Robles, who’s had trouble staying healthy with the Nationals, from their big-league roster by the time Seattle touched down in the nation’s capital in late June. Robles was 3-for-25 in limited appearances with the Nationals this year: his three hits were all singles, and while walking five times, he also struck out nine times.

Robles seized the chance to play in Seattle immediately, injecting a much-needed jolt of offense to the Mariners’ sleepy lineup, not to mention his megawatt personality. He made the most of sporadic opportunities he was given early, and his contributions increased tenfold when Julio Rodríguez went down with an ankle sprain.

“Victor loves to play baseball,” said Scott Servais. “He has a little flair about him, which I think we need. He’s not afraid to have fun. You can certainly tell he’s played with Juan Soto in the past, certain little things he does remind me of that a little bit.

Victor’s in a good spot. He likes to play baseball. He’s happy to be out there. He just wants to contribute any way he can, and it’s rubbing off on a lot of guys.”

As a Mariner, Robles is slashing an unsustainable-yet-delightful line of .349./413/.530 in just about a month’s worth of games. He’s hit all three of his 2024 home runs as a Mariner, three more than he did over the same number of plate appearances in his injury-shortened 2023, and half as many as his total in a full season with Washington in 2022.

Robles’ improvements didn’t magically appear out of nowhere in Seattle, even if that’s what it feels like. After being in the bottom 1% in MLB for average exit velocity from 2019-2022, Robles instituted a series of changes in his setup prior to the 2023 season to try to address his lack of ability to hit the ball hard. He widened his stance in the box, and lowered his hands while also bringing them closer to help him stay inside the baseball and drive pitches with authority. It’s a pretty stark difference between 2022 and 2023, as seen here:

Those changes showed immediate results, with his exit velocity ticking closer to MLB average, and his pull percentage decreasing. But a persistent back injury limited Robles’ time on the field, and he wasn’t able to carry that momentum on, leading to his eventual DFA.

In Seattle, Robles has been working with hitting coach Jarrett DeHart, building on the changes made in Washington but also instituting some new ones. “Victor is a really hard worker,” said Scott Servais. “Anytime you go to a new team you get a new set of eyes on you, maybe some coaches throw some different concepts or ideas at you. And Victor was very receptive to some of those things, and he saw some immediate results, which doesn’t always happen.”

The difference has indeed been immediate. DeHart has helped Robles get into his legs more as opposed to just relying on his quick hips. They’ve all-but-eliminated his leg kick, favoring a more balanced attack based on an even stronger base.

Here’s an open-side angle thanks to Daniel Kramer. They’ve kept the lower hands but also pulled them back some to encourage a linear path to the baseball that stays on plane.

The result is a dizzying improvement in hard-hit rate: 36% with Seattle vs. just 17% with Washington; he’s also barreling the ball up more than ever, above MLB average as opposed to significantly below, where he’s been for most of his career. He’s also dropped his pull percentage down to just over half, while doubling his rate of balls hit to the opposite field. Robles has been doing most of his hard-hit damage on fastballs, but his strong plate discipline and ability to hit for contact means pitchers can’t solely attack him with off-speed or expand the zone.

“He has really good at-bats,” said Servais. “He impacts the game in a number of different ways, it seems like.

Vic is doing things on a baseball field with some kind of flair right now. He’s playing with all kinds of energy, fun, passion.”

John Froschauer-USA TODAY Sports

For Robles, he attributes his improved level of play with the confidence he’s feeling in Seattle. “The first day I got here, the manager told me, ‘be you.’ And that really stuck with me, and gave me the confidence to be myself here.”

“I feel like my confidence at this moment is off the charts. Thanks to God, and my teammates here, and the training staff we have here for taking care of my body, I feel really good. And I’m trying to bring that same good feeling to my teammates, too.”

As much as the Mariners needed Victor Robles and all he can bring to their slumping offense, Robles—whose career in Washington was marked by frustration, disappointment, and intense media scrutiny—needed a fresh start in Seattle. He’s made the most of the one he’s been given.

“I think when players get traded, or DFA’d, or however your time ends, there’s a little bit of regret and sadness. ‘Oh, they screwed me over,’ whatever it is,” said Servais. “But then when you get to the other place it’s like, ‘okay, now it’s going to take off.’ And some players really do. They do start over. Other players have a hard time letting it go.

From the minute Victor showed up, he let it go. ‘I’m not going to worry about that stuff anymore, I’m going forward, I’m so excited to be here.’ Very coachable. I can’t say enough good things about what he’s brought. And then when you get an opportunity, you have to be ready for it, and he was ready, and he’s taken it and run with it. Really proud of him. Love what he’s doing for our team.”

Robles agrees. “I left, and I had a new opportunity, and I could leave that load behind me. I could start fresh, as a new ballplayer.”

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

As for the future, Robles is hoping his new home will also be a more permanent one.

“I like it here. I like playing here, I like the fans, the vibes I feel here are really good. Really, I would like to stay here.”