FRISCO, Texas — Considering his father, Ryan, played two seasons at BYU, where he was an All-WAC selection, and was later an assistant coach for the Cougars before coaching him in high school at Skyridge High in Lehi, Utah, Kai Roberts went against the grain in choosing to attend rival Utah. Considering his accomplishments in his four seasons as a Ute between 2021 and 2024, he has no regrets about traveling a different path than his father.
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“Yeah, they were special to me,” Roberts, 25, now with Double-A San Antonio of the Texas League in the Padres organization, said of his time as a Ute. “I loved college, loved the coaches at the University of Utah. The relationships I made there with teammates and coaches will last a lifetime. Beyond grateful to be able to go to the University of Utah and to be a Ute for life.”
“I feel super grateful to be drafted by the Padres and into an organization that values me and sees me as a great ballplayer. I have nothing but respect for everybody in the organization. Being able to work with the Padres is a blessing.”
former Ute Kai Roberts
As a freshman in 2021, he played infield, outfield and designated hitter, and produced a 15-game hitting streak. As a sophomore, he shifted entirely to outfield and led the Utes with 43 runs and 39 walks. As a junior, he played mostly outfield but made several appearances at DH.
Roberts saved his best for last, starting 55 games as a senior, hitting .356 with seven home runs, 58 RBI and a .918 OPS. He also stole 33 bases, a single-season program record, giving him 66 swipes for his career, another Utes record. And like many who have played at Utah, he credits the passionate fans for helping make time there memorable, especially during those rivalry games with BYU.
Utah infielder Bruer Webster (8) scores on what would have been a sacrifice bunt by outfielder Kai Roberts (27) but turned into a two-run triple after a passed ball by BYU infielders at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News“That rivalry is so fun and so special to me with my background, with my dad coming from BYU. Then, my cousin played football at BYU, so there’s a lot of blood within the family, which makes it a lot of fun,” he said. “Playing BYU in those midweek games was very cool and feel very honored to have that rivalry.”
Ask most Ute baseball fans for the biggest name to come through their program in recent history and almost unanimously they will name C.J. Cron, who played in the big leagues for five different teams and was an All-Star between 2014 and 2023. Considering the success the power-hitting Cron had in the show, it’s not surprising to hear fellow Utes who followed him, like Roberts, still consider him a big role model.
“Yeah, he’s definitely a legend at the University of Utah. He’s all over the facility,” Roberts said. “It’s really cool being able to look up to him coming from Utah and being able to think, ‘Yeah, I can do something like that because it’s been done before from a guy coming out of Utah. He’s such a great guy and he represents the university well.”
Getting drafted
Following his solid collegiate career, Roberts was selected in the seventh round of the 2024 amateur draft. He started his professional career that summer with Low Single-A Lake Elsinore in the California League, hitting .340 with one home run, 17 RBI and an .884 OPS in 24 games with the Storm.
Roberts had two stops last season — a seven-game stint with the Arizona Complex League (ACL) Padres in rookie ball for a rehab assignment as he was returning from injury, where he hit .533 with two homers and five RBI before spending the rest of the season with Fort Wayne of the High Single-A Midwest League.
He’s now 35 games into his Double-A career and couldn’t be happier.
“It’s been fun,” he said of his pro career thus far. “Last year was a struggle with health and on the field as well, but there’s always good that comes out of the bad and I’m just grateful and honored to still be able to come out here every day and be able to play the game that I love.
“I feel super grateful to be drafted by the Padres and into an organization that values me and sees me as a great ballplayer. I have nothing but respect for everybody in the organization. Being able to work with the Padres is a blessing.”
Tying the knot
One big change since making his pro debut two summers ago is that he went from being a single ballplayer to now a happily married one.
“My perspective on life has changed a lot in the past three years. Coming out of college as a single guy and now, in Year 3, married, living with her in San Antonio, that’s really changed my perspective for the better, and being able to treat this like a game, what it is, which is something that I didn’t do my first year in pro ball,” Roberts said.
“My wife (Kyla) plays a huge role in my career. The emotional support that she holds for me is something I will never take for granted. After a bad game, she’ll tell me to snap out of it, turn the page, and get after it the next day. She really understands that, a great woman that I’m glad I married.”
And on Mondays, which are off days throughout the minors, he and Kyla like to explore their new surroundings in San Antonio.
“I love the city in general. Me and my wife, we spent the off days in the city and there’s always something really fun to do downtown at the River Walk or at the Pearl,” he said. “Being able to go see that is really refreshing, and being able to turn the page on the last week, good or bad, be able to get my mind off baseball and life and be able to enjoy the city, is awesome.”
‘Hustle guy’
During his four seasons as a Ute, Roberts earned a reputation as a great “hustle guy,” a player who would do whatever it took to help his team, whether it was taking an extra base, diving for a ball, etc. It’s a label he wears as a badge of honor. And that skill set has only intensified as a professional.
“I love playing hard. I love stealing bases, running down balls, stealing hits, that’s what I find a lot of joy in,” he said. “I love what a lot of people don’t like — getting dirty, sliding hard, playing hard. Coming out here and being able to do that is something I won’t take for granted. I would hope that I am viewed that way by others watching the game as well.”
And after dabbling in the infield early in his collegiate career, his permanent shift to the outfield as a sophomore is another move that has helped him excel. “I’ve played all three positions throughout my college career and then have stuck to center in my pro career. I love the outfield,” he said.
“Having those instincts of seeing the ball (is the key to being an effective outfielder). It comes down to your effort in batting practice, repetition, seeing that ball. In different ballparks and environments, the ball flies differently, and being able to have those instincts, it really sets apart the good from the great outfielders.”
When he’s not exploring San Antonio with his wife or playing for the Missions, he’s keeping tabs on the small group of fellow former Utes also in the minors, brethren like Oliver Dunn, who has played in the Show with the Brewers and Rays, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr., who has seen time with the Twins the past two seasons.
“It’s really cool (to see fellow Utes sharing the same goal),” Roberts said. “I played with a couple (of them) and it’s really fun to watch and follow those guys and cheer them on from afar.”
Utah Utes outfielder Kai Roberts (24) celebrates a home run during a game against the Arizona Wildcats at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City on Sunday, May 12, 2024. | Marielle Scott, Deseret NewsStephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.