Robert Puason disappointing in professional debut

Robert Puason is one of the more intriguing players in the Oakland A’s system. One of two international prospects to receive over $5 million for a signing bonus in the 2019-20 international signing period, he immediately became one of the A’s top prospects.

A’s fans had to wait to see him in action. Puason spent the remainder of 2019 in the instructional league and training in Mesa, Arizona. With the 2020 minor league season canceled by the pandemic, Puason spent the summer at the A’s alternate site. Even then, his time there was not a substitute for actual game action.

Robert Puason showing rust in professional debut

This year, the wait is over. Puason is finally getting back onto the diamond in a competitive setting, playing for the Low-A Stockton Ports. Plenty of eyes, not just from the A’s and their fanbase, will be watching the young Dominican shortstop as he begins his journey.

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To this point, he has not impressed. Puason has produced a .232/.308/.268 batting line in his 92 plate appearances entering Wednesday, hitting three doubles and stealing a base. While he has drawn eight walks, he has also struck out 41 times, a number that gives some cause for alarm despite how early it is in his career.

Expected to develop into a Tony Fernandez type of player, Puason is considered to have a solid line drive oriented swing capable of spraying the ball into the gaps. As he grows into his body, he is expected to develop more pop, potentially hitting 15 to 20 homers a season. But he will need to cut down on those strikeouts in order to deliver on that promise.

Obviously, it is still early in his development. Puason is acclimating to life on the diamond for the first time in years, getting used to a different culture while being one of the youngest players in the league. There are going to be rough patches over the course of the season. But what will be important is how he bounces back and adjusts to those stretches.

Robert Puason is finally getting a chance to make his professional debut. While he has disappointed, it is still very early in his development.