Luis Robert Jr. to represent White Sox in Home Run Derby
Luis Robert Jr. was already going to be busy next week.
Now, the White Sox's center fielder is going to be really busy.
The Sox's lone representative for Tuesday's All-Star Game in Seattle, Robert will also take part in Monday's Home Run Derby.
"I'm pretty sure I'm going to feel very happy during those two days," Robert said through an interpreter. "It's going to be very special for me."
As a team, the White Sox have been anything but special through the first half of the season; Robert has been one of the very few individual exceptions.
"From the time we first signed him, the tools were off the charts," Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "He was a special, special athlete. What has got him to this level and close to fulfilling that superstar potential we all saw originally in him has been the work he's done."
The White Sox landed Robert in May of 2017 and the signing bonus and international overage taxes for the 19-year-old Cuban star cost them over $50 million.
It's turned out to be quite an investment.
"Every tool, he's got every tool," Sox shortstop Tim Anderson said. "He just continues to keep putting his package together. He's going to continue to keep being great for us."
Hampered by injuries the last two years, Robert has stayed healthy this season and the results have been impressive.
In addition to hitting .308/.376/.668 over his last 56 games, Robert is on pace to hit 47 homers and 41 doubles and drive in 112 runs.
Through Tuesday, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder was tied for third in MLB with 25 home runs.
"He's always had power," manager Pedro Grifol said. "We've been talking about this for a long, long time, if he swings at strikes, balls are going to go a long way. And he's swinging at strikes. He's having some really good at-bats, taking really good pitches. This is who he is. This is not like, 'Oh, he's on a hot streak.' This is who he is.
"If he continues to not chase and swing at good pitches, he's going to do a lot of damage."
Initially, Robert wasn't too keen on participating in the Home Run Derby.
But after talking it over with fellow Cubans Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena, he had a change of heart and will be the first White Sox hitter to compete in the event since Todd Frazier in 2016.
"It definitely is an honor to represent Cuba, my country," Robert said. "I feel proud of it. We left our country with a lot of sacrifices trying to look for a better future. We were able to get that. Now being on this stage, being able to represent our country, it's something that makes you feel happy and just makes you proud and you carry your country wherever you go."
An obvious drawback of competing in the Home Run Derby is messing up your swing. Robert is not worried about overdoing it.
"I won't try to pull every single ball because that can create some issues," he said. "I'm just going to go out there and have fun. Hopefully, I can do a good job and maybe win. But my main goal is to go out and have fun."
Does Grifol have any concerns about Robert going into straight launch mode?
"There would be if I thought that he would be one of these guys just trying to change his swing," the White Sox's manager said. "But his personality is just, be who he is, stay calm, take the same swing. You very rarely see him overswing in a game, no matter the counts. I was actually talking about that yesterday with some of our hitting guys, it doesn't matter whether he's 0-2 or 3-0, it's almost the same swing, the same effort level swing.
"I am anticipating that doesn't change. He might be a little pumped up about it but I don't think his swing's going to change or anything like that. I'm not too concerned about it, but he's a big part of this team. We need him to come back healthy and ready to go for the second half."