White Sox lineup revolves around Robert in center field
Unless players like Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada and Andrew Benintendi stay healthy and step up, or until new talent arrives, the scouting report for teams playing the White Sox is pretty simple: *Don't give Luis Robert Jr. any pitches to hit.
*Avoid hitting the ball anywhere near Robert in center field.
It's impossible to succeed with a one-man team, but that's what the Sox are looking like until further notice.
On both offense and defense, Robert is far and away the White Sox's best player.
“With good support and continued improvement, he can be the best player in the game,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “There are some things he has to continue to improve and he did a really good job of that last year. From Day 1 all the way to the very end, he was a different player when it came to understanding what the strike zone is and his routine prior to a game.”
In 2023, Robert led the Sox in just about every offensive category while hitting .264/.315/.542 with 36 doubles, 38 home runs, 80 RBI and 20 stolen bases.
He was a Gold Glove finalist after winning the coveted fielding award as a rookie.
It was an impressive season for Robert, without a doubt.
He arrived with five-tool talent in 2020 but couldn't stay healthy the following two years.
Last season, Robert avoided injury and played in a career-high 145 games.
“I’m proud of playing as many games as I did,” Robert said through a translator. “I’ve said that if I’m able to play every day, I know I’m able to do good things on the field.”
As Grifol mentioned, Robert does have room to improve.
Being patient at the plate and laying off pitches out of the zone have always been his biggest challenges.
While drawing only 30 walks last season, Robert tied for 10th in MLB with 172 strikeouts. The right-hander did show improvement at the end of the season, trimming the strikeout total to 44 in 156 plate appearances over the final two months.
If the rest of the White Sox's lineup does a better job of getting on base this year, Robert's RBI total should take a noticeable jump.
Last season, the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder set a franchise record with 27 solo home runs.
“We brought in some guys that are going to bring support to that lineup and find ways to get on base,” Grifol said. “We need to put guys on base when he hits those homers and we need to step on home plate a (heck) of a lot more times when he puts the ball in the seats. Putting guys around him that understand the game, understand what we’re trying to do, that’s going to be our key.”
Owed $12.5 million this season and $15 million in 2025, the 26-year-old Robert is one of baseball's better bargains. The Sox also hold $20 million club options in 2026-27.
“He does things with ease and there's not much effort to it,” Grifol said. “That's why sometimes the perception is out there where, does he care? I can tell you, he cares more than anybody I've ever been around. He just does things with ease. But he's got the will to be great, he wants to be great.”
Kevin Pillar, a non-roster invite to spring training, is the likely backup in center field.