Luis Robert ready to show he belongs with White Sox

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Luis Robert comes across as an introverted rising star, preferring to let his play on the baseball field do all of his talking.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria has seen the other side.

"I know he seems quiet, but he's actually kind of happy-go-lucky and funny with those guys in there," the White Sox manager said. "As he gets more and more comfortable, you get more and more comfortable in your own skin. You are always trying to prove you belong here.

"It takes a little time to ultimately settle down. It won't be any different for him than any of the other guys."

Actually, it probably will be different.

Few players in the game are blessed with Robert's eye-popping tools, and now he's ready to display them in the major leagues.

After posting a .328/.376/.624 hitting line with 32 home runs, 92 RBI and 36 stolen bases in 122 games with Class AAA Charlotte, AA Birmingham and high A Winston-Salem last season, Robert agreed to a six-year, $50 million contract extension on Jan. 2.

Renteria texted the 22-year-old center fielder after the signing was announced.

"He texted me back, 'It's time to go to work,'" Renteria said. "He knows this is just the first step and I think he understands that there are a lot of people expecting so many different things. It's our job to make sure he understands. Just go out there and play the game."

Robert already understands the high expectations, and he is not shying away from anything.

"I am confident that I am going to have a very good year," Robert said through a translator. "I think my mind is strong and in the right place. What I did last year reinforced all the things that I know that I can do on the field. It helped me a lot.

"One of the things that I'm going to learn is that I'm going to need to make adjustments as quickly as possible, as fast as possible, because I know that in the major leagues I won't have too much time to waste. Since I signed with the team (in 2017) I know the expectations have been high, but it hasn't affected me at all. This year won't be any different."