Dan Robertson

Note: This page is for major league outfielder Dan Robertson; for others with similar names click here

Daniel Roger Robertson

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8", Weight 170 lb.
• School Oregon State University, Concordia University
• High School South Hills High School
• Debut April 29, 2014
• Final Game June 25, 2017
• Born September 30, 1985 in Fontana, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Dan Robertson is an outfielder who made his major league debut in 2014. He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 33rd round of the 2008 amateur draft out of Oregon State University. The scout was Andrew Salvo. While never considered more than a marginal prospect, in part because of his small size, he has hit well everywhere he has played.

Robertson hit .563 as a high school senior. In college, he hit .329 with 15 steals as a freshman, .404 as a sophomore and .415 with 18 swipes as a junior. He helped Concordia University make it to the 2006 NAIA College World Series. Transferring to Oregon State for his senior year, he produced at a .327/.419/.429 rate with 44 runs in 52 games and 8 steals in 9 tries.

He began his professional career by putting up an outstanding .377/.443/.497 batting line in 73 games for the Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League in 2008. He led the Northwest League in hits (114, a NWL record; Jim Buckner had held the old mark for 36 years), average, runs (59), OBP, outfield assists (12) and total bases (150), was second in RBI (45, four behind Mike Loberg), third in steals (20) and tied Charlie Blackmon for third with 21 doubles. He was named NWL MVP, the second straight Emerald to do so (after Luis Durango). Baseball America did not name him as one of the league's top 20 prospects, even though outfield mate Blake Tekotte was picked with worse numbers.

In 2009, for the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Midwest League, his batting average fell to .286, but his OBP was an excellent .380 in 121 games. He moved up to the Lake Elsinore Storm of the California League in 2010, and in that favorable hitting environment hit at a .300/.375/.418 clip in 135 games. In addition to the hitting, he showed some good speed, stealing 20 bases his first two seasons, and 30 in 2010. He led Padres farmhands in runs (95) and hits (160).

Robertson was promoted to the AA San Antonio Missions in the Texas League in 2011 and continued to hit. On May 2, he hit for the cycle in a game against the Midland RockHounds, going 4 for 6 with 6 RBI in a 17-6 win. He finished the year at .283/.370/.393 with 97 more runs, 20 steals in 26 tries and 17 assists. He tied for 9th in the Texas League in steals and was second in runs (8 behind Tim Wheeler). He was three assists shy of leader Jeremy Barfield. Among Padres minor leaguers, he was second in runs as well, 22 shy of Jedd Gyorko.

Making it to AAA with the 2012 Tucson Padres, he hit .302/.371/.388 with 28 doubles, 70 runs and 18 steals in 26 tries while leading minor league baseball with 23 outfield assists. Despite a good campaign other than in power, he returned to Tucson in '13 and batted .285/.371/.384 with 91 runs, 23 steals in 29 tries, 60 walks and 9 triples. He was third in the 2013 PCL in runs (behind Chris Owings and Jemile Weeks), tied for fifth in triples (with Dee Gordon and Roger Kieschnick) and 8th in steals. For San Diego minor leaguers, he led in runs for the second time (one ahead of Dean Anna) and only Jace Peterson legged out more triples.

Robertson opened 2014 in AAA for the third year, starting well with the El Paso Chihuahuas (8 for 22, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 R, 5 RBI). The Texas Rangers bought his contract. In his major league debut on April 29th, he pinch-ran for Shin-Soo Choo in the 7th inning of a loss to the Oakland A's. He stayed in at DH and fanned against Sean Doolittle to end the game. The next day, he got his first hit, a single off Jim Johnson.

On November 20, 2014 Robertson was traded by the Rangers to the Los Angeles Angels for a player to be named later. He split the 2015 season between the major leagues and AAA. The next two years were similar with the Seattle Mariners (2016) and Cleveland Indians (2017). Robertson played in the Arizona Diamondbacks system in 2018 to complete his career in affiliated ball. He wasn't quite finished though, as he played for three independent league teams in late 2018 through 2019, ending his playing career with the Cleburne Railroaders in the American Association.

Robertson launched his coaching career soon after. He returned to Oregon State and worked with the baseball team as an undergraduate assistant coach in 2020. In 2021 he served as the Director of Hitting at the New Level 360 training facility. Robertson also led the amateur Campesinos de Salem-Keizer to a Mavericks Independent Baseball League championship in the League's inaugural season.

The Cleveland Guardians hired Robertson as a bench coach for the Lynchburg Hillcats in 2022, Akron RubberDucks in 2023, and Columbus Clippers in 2023.

Notable Achievements

• 2008 MVP Northwest League Eugene Emeralds

Related Sites

• Daniel Robertson at mlb.com
• BR Minors page
• OSU bio