Photo credit/Mark Steffens
The St. Louis Cardinals’ prospect Sem Robberse was acquired at the 2023 trade deadline from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Jordan Hicks. The righty finished the season with Triple-A Memphis posting a modest 4.84 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 35.1 innings pitched. However, it seems that he has made some adjustments and is much improved this season.
The Future Is Looking Bright for the Cardinals Rotation.
Robberse’s performance so far this season has given Cardinals fans a little hope for the future. The young hurler started off the season in dominant fashion at Triple-A Memphis. The right-hander gave up two runs or fewer in each of his first five starts of the 2024 season.
The Cardinals’ prospect Robberse dominated in the month of April and is undoubtedly on the verge of getting his first taste of the big leagues. He posted a 1.82 ERA with 0.91 WHIP over his first five starts for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. It is obvious he has made some adjustments, and it is paying off.
During an interview on the MLB Network, Cardinals’ prospect Robberse had this to say. “I’ve been working a lot on being consistent with my pitches, putting the ball in the spots where it plays best. And especially my mix is what I rely on the most. Being able to keep them off balance and not let them be able to sit on anything and be able to throw anything for a strike in any count helps me a lot.”
The early results from the adjustments he made have been excellent in comparison to last season’s run in Memphis, especially where his control is concerned. Robberse finished last season in Memphis with 24 walks over 35.1 innings. For comparison, in his first 29.2 innings this season, Robberse had an impressive 29 strikeouts with only six walks. The young righty cooled off a bit in May but is still sporting a respectable 3.28 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP over 60.1 innings pitched. Furthermore, he has only walked 19 batters while maintaining an average of one strikeout per inning pitched.
Cardinals’ Prospect Robberse Has Best Game of Career
Robberse had the best start of his career in mid-April when he gave up one unearned run on one hit while only walking two hitters. Additionally, he posted a career high in strikeouts with nine in the longest outing of his career of eight innings.
The Cardinals Needed to Improve Pitching Depth in the Minors
The 22 year-old righty from the Netherlands immediately became one of the Cardinals’ top pitching prospects upon his arrival. The organization hasn’t been very successful at developing young pitching over the past several years, and it came back to haunt them. Thankfully, they made some trades last season that improved their pitching prospect depth in the minors. The Cardinals’ prospect Robberse is trending in the right direction, and St. Louis fans should be excited about what the future holds for the intriguing prospect.
