Luis Robert: An In-Depth Look At The Chicago White Sox Prospect
The White Sox recently signed Yasmani Grandal and are starting to put the pieces together to build an exciting young lineup. That group could feature a host of future stars, including Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jimenez, as well as this past seasons AL Batting Champ Tim Anderson and AL RBI Leader Jose Abreu. Here we look in-depth at a player that should be able to help the White Sox contend for the playoffs, perhaps as soon as 2020.
Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox
Signed by the Chicago White Sox out of Cuba in 2017, Luis Robert was considered to be one of the best International player at the time he signed with the White Sox. In 2018 his first full season playing stateside, Robert struggled with health issues. He didn’t begin to gain momentum until the Arizona Fall League, but carried it over into 2019. Robert was fully healthy this season, and climbed from High A to AAA on the strength of 32 home runs and 36 stolen bases.
While Scouts and evaluators felt Robert was one of the best prospects of 2019 – one scout told me Robert was the best he’d seen in 5-7 years; he ranked in the top prospects in the AA Southern League; and he was Baseball America’s top prospect in the AAA International League) – and had the talent to contribute immediately in the Majors, the White Sox organization decided to handle him similarly to how they handled Eloy Jimenez service time the year before. That means we should see him in Major League camp this Spring Training, and contributing very quickly.
Age: 22 Size: 6’3”, 185 Bats: R Throws: R ETA: 2020
Hitting: Luis Robert has been considered to be an 80 grade athlete with a chance to have plus tools across the board. He’s more of an athlete with incredible raw power that’s more power and speed over hit at the moment. He will need to improve on recognizing breaking balls better and be more selective at the plate to improve his hit tool but evaluators feel he has the ability to develop into an above-average-to-plus hitter. He has plus power that started showing in games during 2019. He is plus to double plus runner who’s speed plays up on the bases.
Fielding: Luis Robert has a chance to be a plus defender in time in centerfield thanks to his plus or better speed to go along with a plus arm. There are still some minor concerns about his defense as he’s still working to improve his reads and jumps, but he looks like he will be a solid or better center fielder in time.
2020 and Beyond: Luis Robert has an excellent chance to make it to the majors early on in the season but might start the season off at AAA. That is unless they can restructure his contract before opening day. Robert has all the talent and skills to be a future All-Star and could be a potential 30 homer, 30 stolen base player at the major league level with a chance to be a plus defender in centerfield.
Is Robert the piece to help turn this young up and coming White Sox lineup into a playoff contender? We will soon find out but I think there is a good chance he might be a future MVP candidate if he can continue to improve as a hitter and prove his durability over a full season. Special talent that could rank as high as #1 or #2 in some people’s minds and should be able to put up good offensive numbers with the White Sox for quite some time. He is a true 5 plus or better Tools player that could be a star.
Luis Robert is the type of a player that could be worth watching on a nightly basis; one that could imprint upon an entire generation of baseball fans.
MLB/Baseball America/ESPN Rankings MLB #3 BA #3
Hit Streak: 14 (5/22-6/4) 28-64 (.438), with 7 doubles, 2 triples and a home run
Best Game: 4/29/19 vs. Potomac 4-5, with a triple, a home run and 3 RBI’s.
Splits: vs. RH: .315/.372/.580 vs. LH: .356/.386/.719 Fielding%: .961
