By Brian Brunk

Brian "Bo" Robinson: He was a 28th round pick in the ^{1998 June Draft by the Mariners. Robinson came from UNC-Charlotte where he was named a second-team All-American his senior year. That success carried over to the pros where he was named Wisconsin MVP (MID) and Mariners Minor League Player of the Year in 1999. He hit .329 with a league leading 50 DBLs. He also added 13 HRs, and 108 BBs compared to only 75 SOs, which equates to an impressive .446 OBP%. He spent his 2000 season in high A-ball with Lancaster where he continued his advancement through the Mariners farm system by batting .313 with 33 DBLs and 10 HRs. He finished 2nd in the California League in hits (161) and posted a .346 BA with runners in scoring position.}

So far in 2001 Robinson is continuing to play well as he works his way up the organizational ladder. Currently he’s batting .301 for the San Antonio Missions of the Texas League (AA). What bears noting is that through 42 games he’s already managed to belt 7 HRs which could be a sign that he’s perfecting his power stroke which will allow some of those DBLs from previous seasons to make it over the fence now and in the future. Once again he’s showing exceptional plate discipline with 23 BBs and only 17 SOs in 136 ABs.

With such impressive numbers some might begin to wonder why this guy’s name is never mentioned when speaking of the top prospects in the Mariners organization. The only reason is his age, Robinson turns 26 in August. Generally, a guy getting his first taste of AA-ball at the age of 25 doesn’t get mentioned when your talking about hot prospects and Robinson is no exception. However, that’s not to say that this guy won’t be given a shot to make his mark in the Majors. The current 3B situation with the parent club leaves much to be desired in Seattle. David Bell isn’t exactly tearing things up at the plate and Robinson is the only real 3B prospect in the upper levels of the Organization with decent upside. That said, there is 3B talent in the lower levels of the farm system so his window of opportunity will not be very big. Robinson could get a late season call-up if Bell continues to struggle but it’s more likely the Mariners will end up promoting him to AAA in the second half. If he continues to hit well there he could be a decent sleeper for 2002.