Robinson Tejeda

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #25 prospect in 2005
  Tejeda's 2003 season got sidetracked after a typographical error on his visa application raised a red flag with immigration officials, delaying his return to the United States until May. The lost time meant he had to drop down to low Class A to begin the year. Tejeda kept his place in the Phillies prospect list last year by pitching with more maturity and a better work ethic, two areas where he impressed again in 2004. He struggled to 14 losses and an ugly ERA, but still produced a strong strikeout rate thanks to improved command of his fastball, which frequently touched 94-95 mph. His curveball command varied game to game, and the pitch was flat at times. Command and keeping his average changeup lower in the strike zone remain the keys to his future. Tejeda, who has often been compared to former Phillies righy Carlos Silva in build and repertoire, moves up to Triple-A this season after getting added to the 40-man roster over the winter. If he's to follow Silva's move from relief to the rotation, Tejeda must improve his offspeed pitches.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #23 prospect in 2004
  A typographical error by a Phillies player-development staffer raised a red flag on Tejeda's visa application, delaying his return from the Dominican Republic by four months. He returned to action in late May, but the lost time really ate into Tejeda's development as he missed spring training and had to return to Lakewood after ending 2002 in Clearwater. Whether it had anything to do with the visa process is uncertain, but Tejeda came back to the United States with added maturity, and he focused on playing hard and improving his skills. His delivery and breaking ball were more consistent in 2003 than ever before, and his fastball was clocking in at 93-94 mph. He also throws an average changeup. Tejeda profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter or middle reliever, but could improve his stock with a solid year of development. Spring training will determine whether he heads to high Class A or Double-A this year.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #23 prospect in 2003
  Tejeda turned potential into performance in low Class A in 2001 and followed it up with a strong first half in high Class A last year. He ended up being shut down in mid-July with a tender shoulder, and the Phillies began to rework his mechanics in instructional league. Tejeda used a long arm action and also flew open quite a bit with his delivery, causing him to wrap his arm behind his body and then throw across it. The motion led to the shoulder soreness as well as some wildness on the mound. His health is no longer a question. Tejeda's breaking ball improved with the new delivery and he also offers an average changeup to go along with his 92-93 mph fastball. His unrefined secondary stuff and sore shoulder contributed to Tejeda's 14 home runs allowed, which ranked fifth in the Florida State League though he didn't throw a pitch over the last two months. He looks like an end-of-the-rotation pitcher. A return to Clearwater awaits.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #21 prospect in 2002
  Tejada already had an average major league fastball when he signed at age 16 in November 1998. After two years in the Gulf Coast League, he came out of spring training last year throwing harder and landed his first spot in a full-season rotation. He was among the South Atlantic League leaders in strikeouts and dominated at times, including a 14- strikeout performance in July. Tejada pitches comfortably between 92-94. He has cleaned up his delivery, though his offspeed pitches still have a lot of room to improve. He tends to fall in love with his fastball and will complement it with an average changeup, but he lacks confidence in his curveball. He'll spend 2002 in high Class A at age 20.