Robert Neustrom

Baseball player
Robert Neustrom
Free agent
Outfielder
Born: (1996-11-12) November 12, 1996 (age 27)
Sioux City, Iowa
Bats: Left
Throws: Left

Robert Michael Neustrom (born November 12, 1996) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.

Amateur career

Neustrom attended North High School in Sioux City, Iowa, where he played football, basketball, and baseball and was teammates with Daniel Tillo.[1] In 2015, as a senior, he batted .540 with 46 RBIs alongside pitching to a 1.07 ERA over 46 innings, and was named the Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year.[2][3] After graduating, he enrolled at the University of Iowa where walked on to the baseball team.[4] In 2017, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star.[5] As a junior in 2018, he started 53 games and hit .311 with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs.[6] After the season, he was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth round with the 145th pick of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.[7]

Professional career

Neustrom signed with the Orioles for $300,000 and made his professional debut with the Aberdeen IronBirds of the Low-A New York–Penn League, batting .272 with four home runs, 29 RBIs, and 16 doubles over 61 games.[8][9] He began the 2019 season back with Aberdeen and was promoted to the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Single-A South Atlantic League and the Frederick Keys of the High-A Carolina League during the season.[10][11] Over 82 games between the three clubs, he slashed .256/.321/.391 with seven home runs and 47 RBIs.[12] In the offseason, he underwent shoulder surgery.[13]

He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Bowie Baysox of the Double-A Northeast and was promoted to the Norfolk Tides of the Triple-A East in July.[15][16] Over 126 games between the two clubs, Neustrom slashed .258/.344/.446 with 16 home runs, 83 RBIs, and 31 doubles.[17] He returned to Norfolk to play the 2022 season.[18] He missed time during the season due to injury.[19] Over 101 games, he compiled a slash line of .231/.297/.408 with 15 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases.[20] Neustrom was released by the Orioles on March 26, 2023.[21]

References

  1. ^ "Getting to Know You: Sioux City North Stars". August 7, 2014.
  2. ^ "North's Neustrom named Iowa Gatorade Player of Year". 28 May 2015.
  3. ^ "Iowa Baseball POY: Robert Neustrom". May 28, 2015.
  4. ^ "Iowa Hawkeyes outfielder Robert Neustrom goes from walk-on to 5th-round MLB draft pick".
  5. ^ "Robert Neustrom – Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  6. ^ "Cropley & Neustrom have skills that MLB teams want". ktiv.com. Archived from the original on 2021-09-08.
  7. ^ "Hawkeyes' Neustrom gets rare early call". 5 June 2018.
  8. ^ Pollitt, Richard. "'I can make that dream a reality': Shorebirds outfielder's journey to Orioles prospect". The Daily Times.
  9. ^ "Three former Sioux City standouts on MLB top prospects list – KTIV". ktiv.com. Archived from the original on 2019-02-26.
  10. ^ Journal, TERRY HERSOM Special to the (9 April 2019). "Sioux City grads making marks in minor league baseball". Sioux City Journal.
  11. ^ "Iowans in pro baseball: A.J. Puk, Robert Neustrom get promotions".
  12. ^ "North grad Neustrom anxious to swing the bat again in O's system". ktiv.com. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18.
  13. ^ "Robert Neustrom sees the silver linings in quarantine". April 13, 2020.
  14. ^ Norris, J. J. Cooper, Josh (30 June 2020). "The 2020 Minor League Season Is Canceled. So What Happens Next?". www.baseballamerica.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "Orioles minor league report: Top pick Colton Cowser homers in debut; Kyle Stowers, Jordan Westburg stay hot". Baltimore Sun. 3 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Orioles Prospect Robert Neustrom on Breakout Season, How Baysox Push One Another". July 19, 2021.
  17. ^ "HawkeyeReport – Hawkeyes in the Minor Leagues". 30 September 2021.
  18. ^ "Baltimore Orioles announce Norfolk Tides break-camp roster". March 31, 2022.
  19. ^ "Orioles' Robert Neustrom: Placed on injured list". 25 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Robert Neustrom Stats, Fantasy & News".
  21. ^ "Givens limps off mound to conclude abbreviated simulated game". cbssports.com. 26 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-26.

External links

  • Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
  • Iowa Hawkeyes bio