TORONTO — For as long as he can remember, Will Robertson, 27, dreamed of getting the call to play in the majors, and after being drafted in the fourth round (117th overall) by Toronto in 2019, the Creighton University grad’s dream came true.

“It was really cool that my first start came on Father’s Day,” said Robertson, whose first game as a Blue Jay right-fielder came six years to the day after being drafted. “Being my first year as a dad, it was great to be able to spend it with my wife, Morgan, our 10-month-old daughter, Jonnie, our parents, and family.”

Robertson began the season in minor league camp for six weeks and then reported on March 26 to play Triple-A ball for the Buffalo Bisons. Through 52 games, he hit a career-best .288 (45-156) with 12 HR and 35 RBI. He went 91-403 (.226) with 19 homers and 71 RBI last year at Buffalo.

Robertson was named Player of the Week twice this year in consecutive weeks and was the first Buffalo player since 2014 to hit three HRs in one day.

Despite the ongoing progress, Robertson said he wasn’t sure what to expect this year. “Last year, around the trade deadline, the Blue Jays made some moves and brought in some other outfielders, younger bats,” he said. “During spring training this year, I didn’t even know if I was going to make the active roster in Triple-A. I played pretty well in spring training to get a spot on the Triple-A team, but I had no idea how much I was going to play to start the year. I knew I was going to have to earn every opportunity I was going to get. Luckily, I got off to a solid start and was able to solidify some playing time. Some injuries allowed me to play, but I was not expecting a quick stint in Triple-A. I was trying to fight and get better every day to stay there.”

Then came last Tuesday, June 10. Robertson had delivered an RBI double but was thrown out trying for third in the sixth. “The next inning, our manager wanted to talk to me about the play,” said Robertson. “He asked if I thought that was the right call and if I would have done anything different with that. I was trying to explain my reasoning, and he said, ‘It doesn’t matter, because you’re going to Toronto.’ So, that was how I was told I was going to the majors. A lot of teammates congratulated me. And then the manager told me to call my family.”

An injury on the Blue Jays’ roster created an opening for Robertson, and he had very little time to get things ready since he was due to join the team in St. Louis the following day.

“It was a pretty quick turnaround,” said Robertson, who flew out of Buffalo early Wednesday morning and suited up in time for the Cardinals’ 1 p.m. game.

Family support made the move easier than he expected. “Something you don’t realize until it happens is just how much logistics play a part in everything,” said Robertson. “You get called up at 9:15 on a Tuesday night, and then you wake up at three o’clock in the morning to get to the airport for a 6:15 flight. Doing that on my own wouldn’t be that big a deal. But when you have a 10-month-old baby with all her belongings, toys, and sleep schedule, it makes it a little more challenging. Morgan has done such a great job; I can’t explain how grateful and blessed I am to have her by my side. I wouldn’t be able to do anything without her.”

Nearly 300 people from Osage County attended last Wednesday’s game to support Robertson in St. Louis. “I was so overwhelmed with how many people showed up,” he said. “I looked in the stands, and it was almost like I was playing back in Osage County with how many familiar faces that I saw. For that many people to get tickets to a day game and take off from work is remarkable. It truly shows the support in Osage County. I felt very blessed.”

Robertson noted he didn’t know what to expect during Wednesday’s game. “All I knew was I wasn’t starting,” he said. “At that level, anything could happen. They could send me in to pinch hit or go in to run; I just made sure I was ready to do whatever I could to help the team win.”

Thursday was a scheduled off day, so Robertson was able to catch his breath a bit before heading to Philadelphia for a three-game series. He learned on Saturday that he would be starting Sunday’s game, and made sure to let his family know.

Will’s parents, Jon and Cindy, believe divine intervention was involved. “There’s no other way to explain how this played out,” said Jon, an All-State player at Fatima who suited up with the Orioles organization. “From getting called up at Busch Stadium, a team he worshiped as a kid, to then not playing for four games, debuting on Father’s Day (and Ben’s birthday), and to top it off with a hit — we truly think God had a plan. The whole week has been surreal. If this is a dream, don’t wake us up. ”

In 2019, Will almost became a Cardinal, as both Toronto and St. Louis were considering him in the draft, but the Blue Jays pulled the trigger first.

On Sunday, Will Robertson made the starting lineup and batted in the eighth spot. He struck out in his first two at-bats, but drilled the ball to right center in his third trip to the plate, finishing the day 1-4 with an RBI single.

“It was ironic that my first hit in the big leagues was against a lefty because I haven’t had a chance to hit off many lefties as of late,” Robertson said. “When I made contact with it, I actually got it off the end of the bat just a little bit. I thought the outfielder caught it, but then I saw it drop. It was a weight off my shoulders, and there was so much excitement to be able to do it with all my family in the stands on Father’s Day. I think that was very special.”

Jon Robertson agreed. “Spending Father’s Day at a ballpark with your dad and family watching your kid play ball — it doesn’t get much better than that. Father’s Day is also a day to remember those who are not with us anymore. We shared stories and talked about how proud they would have been to see Will live out his dream.”

Will Robertson was a standout player at Fatima and Creighton, but the dream began long before he joined the Blue & Gold at Westphalia.

“Watching Tom Henke pitch for Toronto and St. Louis was cool,” said Robertson. “He was another mid-Missouri guy playing for the Blue Jays. Seeing my dad, uncles, and other guys play created a love for the game.”

Robertson watched Westphalia native Joe Crede earn a championship with the Chicago White Sox in 2005, which further fostered his love of the game.

“When I was growing up, he was going through his prime, while I was going through my childhood prime and starting to fall in love with the game,” Robertson added. “I think that was a huge part of that. My dad, my grandpa, and my uncles were such a big part of helping me, my brother, and my cousins fall in love with the game, but on our own terms, and not really pushing too hard. They had success in their own right, but they didn’t push us to do anything we didn’t want to do. I think that’s why you see so much success. I think in Osage County with sports in general, it’s just a pure love for basketball, baseball, or whatever sport kids choose to play.”

Jon Robertson said the turnout in St. Louis was truly incredible. “Will made a comment that ‘We’ did it, as in everyone,” Jon said. “This belongs to everyone, and they showed and proved that on Wednesday. There were a lot of grown men bawling and hugging that day for sure. This is a testament to what Osage County stands for and what we are about — supporting each other in good times and in bad. I am immensely proud to be from the OC.”

His parents’ approach allowed Will room to grow, but that doesn’t mean it was easy to let go. “As parents, we tend to probably overanalyze things,” Jon said. “How will he handle all the friends and family in St. Louis? How will he handle playing in front of 45,000 crazy Philly fans? He never flinched. He is as tough as his mother, that is for sure.   Talk about tough mothers — Morgan is a warrior — dragging a 10-month-old and luggage all over the country with a beautiful smile on her face.”

Several family members and friends made the trip to Philadelphia for the Father’s Day game and delighted in his first MLB hit.

In addition to his family’s support, Will reunited with his close friend, Alan Roden, who was a freshman at Creighton when Will was a junior. Though they were on the roster together for a year, they technically did not play together.

After Will was drafted in 2019, Roden continued to play and finished a great career at Creighton before being drafted by Toronto in 2022. “It wasn’t until then that we really kind of had a connection because our paths only crossed for a short bit at Creighton. It wasn’t until he got drafted by the Blue Jays that we really started to have this very special relationship.”

They played together in Double-A during the 2023 season, and then again as teammates in Buffalo. “Now, we’re in Toronto together,” Robertson said. “He’s such a great guy to be able to talk baseball with, to talk about anything with. It’s very special to share the field with him, not only because we’re previous teammates, but because of the way he goes about his business. It’s very special and rewarding to get to do that again.”

Will Robertson feels blessed and fortunate to have this opportunity, especially considering the long road he’s traveled. “I stayed healthy the last couple of years, which wasn’t the case early in my career,” he said. “I had the knee and thumb injuries, and there have been a lot of lows. There have been a lot of points that I didn’t really feel like this was in the cards. I felt like this was a long shot, or that I was just playing to finish the contract, and playing just to say that, I played until I couldn’t play anymore. But for this to happen in this way is truly remarkable. Having so much support from my family and Morgan’s family, and so many Osage County folks, has been the coolest part about all of it.”