Whitney Robbins Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Whitney Lee Robbins
Born 09/25/1984 in Norton, VA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Georgia Tech
Drafted in the 4th round (119th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2006 (signed for $265,000).

View Draft Report

While most of the attention this season in Atlanta was on Georgia Tech third baseman Wes Hodges, Robbins was climbing draft boards with his best season. He led Tech in batting, on-base percentage, home runs and RBIs, almost doubling his home run total from his first two seasons combined. He made himself some money in late March when he held his own against North Carolina's Andrew Miller, then chased Daniel Bard with a towering home run to cap his weekend. Robbins has surprising athleticism and looseness in his swing. He generates good bat speed and feasts on fastballs on the inner half of the plate. He's pull-conscious, but otherwise has a sound approach, with good pitch recognition and plate discipline. He also offers versatility defensively. Scouts believe he can handle third base and left field. He has excellent hands, and enough arm strength to handle throws across the diamond. He could sneak into the top five rounds.

Top Rankings

A product of suburban Atlanta's East Cobb summer teams, Robbins has a long track record for a player new to pro ball. He was a three-year starter at Georgia Tech and improved his draft stock significantly by shifting from first base to third when teammate Wes Hodges (who signed for $1 million with the Indians as a second-round pick) was limited by a leg injury. Robbins showed good hands and a strong arm, though he'll need work on his footwork and repetitions to become a good third baseman. He signed quickly with the Twins for $265,000 and hit the ground running, with 10 hits in his first 14 at-bats. Robbins has a sound lefthanded stroke and good bat speed to catch up with good fastballs. His season ended due to a balky back, which the Twins hope he took care of in the offseason with a combination of rest and rehabilitation. A healthy Robbins would quickly move into the team's wide-open third base mix, but Robbins will have to hit to stay ahead of fellow '06 draftees Garrett Olson and Danny Valencia, and to catch up to Matt Moses and David Winfree ahead of him. He's primed to be the third baseman in high Class A in 2007.