‘MAPLE HAMMER’ JACOB ROBSON BACK WITH MONARCHS

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Maple Hammer is coming back to the Kansas City Monarchs.

Former major leaguer Jacob Robson has re-signed with the American Association club for the 2023 season, the Monarchs announced Thursday.

“He’s a complete player,” Monarchs manager Joe Calfapietra said. “He hits, he runs, he has power from the left side, and he’s a great person.”

Robson instantly became a core player on a Monarchs team that finished the year with the American Association’s best record. He slashed .288/.403/.631 over 29 games, good for an eye-popping 1.034 OPS. He hit nine home runs and seven doubles while stealing eight bases.

Calfapietra said he knew Robson was a special player “from the first time I saw him.”

Robson, 28, broke through to the big leagues in 2021, playing four games with the Detroit Tigers. He flashed the leather in his first MLB start on August 13, making an impressive sliding catch in foul territory.

The Tigers drafted Robson in the 8th round in 2016 out of Mississippi State, where he served as captain of the powerhouse program his senior year. He batted .296 in his collegiate career with a .401 on-base percentage, helping the Bulldogs to a College World Series appearance in 2013. That was around the time when Robson was first called the Maple Hammer, a nickname that quickly stuck.

Robson would quickly advance through the Tigers’ system, earning a promotion to Triple-A Toledo in 2018. He began 2022 in Toledo before joining the Monarchs on August 5.

A native of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Robson is a regular on the Canadian national team, most recently leading Team Canada in a 2021 Olympic qualifying tournament. Robson led Canada with a 1.160 OPS in that tournament, including a game-tying home run off of 14-year MLB veteran Homer Bailey.

Robson is on Canada’s roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic that begins this coming March.

The Monarchs have won three straight division championships in the American Association, an MLB Partner League.

The Monarchs open the upcoming season on Friday, May 12, on the road against the Sioux City Explorers. Their 2023 home opener is set for Friday, May 19 against the Sioux Falls Canaries. Fans can buy tickets, check out upcoming promotions and learn more about the team at MonarchsBaseball.com.

Follow the Monarchs on Twitter @KSCityMonarchs, on Instagram @KC_Monarchs, and at Facebook.com/KCMonarchsBaseball.