The New York Mets announced on Thursday that they have signed right-handed pitcher Cam Robinson and outfielder Trayce Thompson to minor league contracts. Both players were also given invites to major league spring training.
Robinson, a Tampa, FL. native, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 23rd round of the 2017 MLB draft as a young 17-year-old out of University High School in Orlando, FL. He has been in the Brewers’ organization since.
Robinson spent his first few seasons at the rookie level and struggled to get things going, but admitted that in his first couple years of professional baseball, he “wasn’t really a pro player,” he explained in an interview with Brew Crew Ball. Throughout high school, the right-hander was a football player and a basketball player, so baseball didn’t come naturally.
“It wasn’t necessarily the one that I was always the best in,” he explained. “I was always pretty good, but the mentality I took going into pro ball because I didn’t know much about it all, it was like it’s summer ball for me.” As a 17-year-old facing players who were six to seven years older than him, he admitted there were adjustments he needed to make on the mound and in his mindset as well.
Cam Robinson, Photo by Evan Moesta
Robinson took the next few years to do just that.
“The mentality changed. I started to actually get the business aspect of professional baseball. Just getting older and maturing, I think. The mental game actually helped me,” he said. Minor leaguers were then faced with the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020. Robinson said he took advantage of the shutdown and worked out with college friends twice a day sometimes, did live BP, and put in work.
Those extra practices paid off for the righty, as players and coaches began to notice the changes. His fastball had changed to a cutter (mid-90s), and he refined his curveball and slider.
Knowing he had improved helped Robinson gain confidence, and it’s what led him to a phenomenal 2022 breakout season. In 2022, he ascended through three minor league levels from the start of the season to the finish. He closed out 2022 with a 2.40 ERA and 2.79 FIP in 60 innings. He struck out 31.4 percent of opposing hitters and had 25 saves on the season.
The 24-year-old split the 2023 season between Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville. Between the two leagues, he was 3-2 with 15 saves and a 5.33 ERA over the course of 52 games. He gave up 30 earned runs on 58 hits and walked 39 through 50 2/3 innings pitched. He struck out 58 and had a WHIP of 1.85.
Before the 2023 season, FanGraphs ranked Robinson as the No. 26 prospect in the Brewers system.
Thompson was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in round 2 of the 2009 MLB draft out of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in California. Throughout his career, he has played for the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres. In 2023, he found himself back in Chicago.
During the 2023 season the 6’3” righty batted .171/.261/.232, with a .493 OPS. He hit 18 doubles, two triples, and a home run over the course of 36 games. He walked nine times and had two stolen bases, along with three RBIs and five runs scored.
Thompson spent the majority of 2023 on the 60-day injured list with a strained left oblique. He was only returned from the injured list at the beginning of August. The 32-year-old had his best big league season in 2022 when he hit 13 home runs and posted a .860 OPS between the Dodgers and Padres.
We previously reported the Thompson signing, and you can read more about him here.
The post Mets Announce Minor League Deals with RHP Cam Robinson, OF Trayce Thompson first appeared on Metsmerized Online.
