Perkins participated in the Major League Baseball Australian Academy Program (MLBAAP) in June of 2011. The MLBAAP hosts young baseballers from all over the country for two months on the Gold Coast giving them the opportunity to train with top coaches and scouts. Perkins was recently named the Most Valuable Player of the 2011 MLBAAP.
Perkins just returned from Guam where he won a gold medal playing for Team Australia in the under 18 Oceania Qualifying Tournament. Perkins was joined in Guam by fellow ACT baseball product Cameron Warner and current ACTAS head coach Brent Phelan. By winning the tournament, Team Australia qualified for the under 18 World Championships to be held in Seoul, South Korea later this year.
“This is great news for Robbie,” Cavalry General Manager Peter Bishell said. “As the game grows here in Canberra we hope to see more and more players getting contracts to play in America.
Perkins signing brings the total number of baseballers playing affiliated baseball from the ACT up to three with Hayden Beard pitching in the San Diego Padres organization and Steven Kent signing a contract with the Kansas City Royals organisation last month. It is anticipated that Perkins will report to the Rockies spring training facilities in Phoenix, Arizona USA next month.
Perkins plays local baseball with the Woden Rebels Baseball Club. He is the younger brother of Cavalry pitcher Kyle Perkins. Kyle was signed as a catcher by the New York Yankees organisation in 2010 before being released after one season.
