How sparkplug Victor Robles reignited career with Mariners

He’s heard it from fans wondering if he can replicate his performance in 2024 with the Seattle Mariners. He’s heard it from those who were perplexed he had yet to live up to his prospect rankings. The question? Who is Victor Robles. There’s no hesitation in his answer.

“An electrifying ballplayer that likes to have fun.”

For others, it has been a game of catchup. When Victor Robles was designated for assignment by the Nationals in late May, his manager sent him off with the hope that he would “find his identity” with the right team. The message he was greeted with June 4 in Oakland shortly after signing with the Mariners?

“They told me to just be myself,” said Robles this week during spring training in Peoria, Ariz. “It was something that really impacted me as a person because they came in and told me we know what kind of player you are. We know who you are, you are a guy that likes to go out there and have fun and just be you. That impacted me a lot when I got here.”

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Being designated for assignment by the club he had been with since he was just 16 years old, the organization he was with when he appeared in the top five of Baseball America’s top prospects list for three straight years, was hard for Robles. The freedom to be who he was both as a player and personality, however, freeing. It was a fresh start, a restart, and even though expectations were not that of what he was supposed to be according to the talent evaluators, that could be sorted out even if it meant limited playing time for awhile.

“The communication was key,” he said. “That was the first thing that happened when I got here. They were real with me. They told me, ‘Hey, you are not going to play much,’ and that was good for me because I wasn’t dancing around wondering what was going to happen next. I just knew I had to prepare myself because when that moment came, I had to take it.”

Robles was not signed to be inserted right into the struggling lineup, but the Mariners were intrigued by the tools he possessed.

“Victor was kind of on the downside of his career over there in Washington, and they envisioned that his game would play at T-Mobile because he’s a line drive hitter, he can run the bases,” said bench coach Manny Acta, who in the past had drafted Robles for his winter ball team in the Dominican Republic. “He’s a good outfielder and at that moment we just thought we’re getting that. Nice defensive outfielder and maybe he’ll be a project for us over here, but you know, from day one he just put in another gear and he hasn’t looked back.”

Robles’ opportunity came when the Mariners, who in late July were battling for a postseason spot, lost Julio Rodríguez and JP Crawford to injuries in back-to-back games. Robles stepped into not one but two key roles taking over in center for Rodríguez and atop the lineup for Crawford. He had been patiently awaiting an opportunity for more playing time but fully understood the situation for the team.

“At the moment, I was a little sad,” he said. “At the moment, I didn’t look at it and say these two key players are out, I’m going to get more playing time. It was more these two key players are out, look at the situation where the Mariners are. They are still fighting to get in there, I’ve got to do my part to try and help as much as I can. I knew how important these guys are, JP being the leadoff hitter, Julio in center field.”

Robles looked around the clubhouse and realized the team needed more than what he could bring on the field. Losing two key pieces of team was a blow and he was determined to keep spirits up.

“I wasn’t really focused too much on the results, it was more of me trying to come into the clubhouse, inject everyone with that adrenaline,” he said. “Letting the guys who were injured know we’ve got this so they could get a little bit more motivated, so they could keep pushing and come back. I was just trying to do my part and come into the clubhouse with that energy.”

“He brought a new light to the team,” Rodríguez remembered. “I think it came out at a really crucial moment. He definitely sparked the team up in many different ways.”

The spark started in the clubhouse and extended to the field where Robles played all out. There were the line drives, bunts, stolen bases, an ill-fated attempt to steal home. He would step up in the box sometimes to jump on an off-speed pitch and attempt to make things uncomfortable for the pitcher wherever he was on the field.

“Obviously he is a great defensive player, but he’s a pest,” said Rodríguez. “He’s a pest for the other team. Every time he’s on base. Every time he’s hitting. He’s very, very versatile in the way that he does things. He can bunt, he can hit. He can hit you a homer. He’s a very versatile player and you know I’m really happy he’s part of the team.”

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Acta pointed out that it’s rare for a right-handed center fielder to not sell out for home runs and power, but Robles understands and embraces what his game is, what his identity is, and where it all starts.

“I’m a guy that likes to prepare myself, especially with my legs,” he said. “So when they told me be yourself, I know that my legs are kind of the soul of the toolset that I can bring. When they told me that I just said, ‘I have got to take advantage of these tools that I have, which is my legs, and just try to give the best soul possible.’ And I just ran wild.”

There’s little question Robles has been an ignitor for the team running wild and bringing the energy not just to his teammates, but everyone within his proximity. When that energy wanes, motivation is not hard to find.

“There’s days when I am tired,” he admitted. “But I come in with that mentality of, ‘I’m tired of not accomplishing what I want to accomplish.’ And going in with that mentality, it’s helped me a lot.”

It was a revealing answer to the simple question, ‘do you ever get tired?’ Robles, very quietly still has a lot to prove, and he very well may be in the perfect place to do it.

“He’s a guy that needed someone in his corner,” said Acta. “He’s got his confidence back, he had a good season with us, he knows he’s going to be in the lineup every day. He’s in a good place right now.”

Robles has found a home and teammates that appreciate him.

“I knew him a little bit,” said Rodríguez. “Not to the extent that I know him now. He definitely surprised me in a way with his energy, how hard he goes about the game and how much he loves winning. He’s very passionate, he’s a great team player and all he cares about is winning.”

The appreciation goes both ways for Robles.

“It’s a privilege to step on the field with him,” he said of Rodríguez. “He’s going to be a superstar. I don’t think he’s accomplished half  of the things he’s capable with, but I am definitely looking at him and it’s been a privilege sharing that outfield with him.”

Robles has been impressed by the focus he sees from the entire team this spring in Peoria. Sunday morning, he brought the World Series ring he won with the Nationals into the clubhouse and shared it with Rodríguez and Lazaro Montes at his locker – with Montes swiping his index finger across the bridge of the ring where “Washington” was engraved and saying “Seattle.” Just another way to inspire towards what he hopes is the ending of the 2025 season.

If the Mariners season ends with a postseason appearance, chances are good Robles will have played a critical role in the club getting there. They in part will have played a part in getting Robles to that point as they have allowed him to play free.

“I think that’s the guy I am, that’s the type of ballplayer I am,” he said. “Seattle brought that out a bit. I’m a guy that whether it’s going good or bad, I’m the guy that is going to have that smile on my face trying to inject that energy. For me, it’s been a little bit  more than a blessing being here, and getting a chance to put on this uniform every day has been special.”

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