White Sox: Luis Robert Dots Roster of Impressive Ilk in Chicago

Remember first that on the last episode of Pine Tar Podcast, I picked the Chicago White Sox to represent the American league in the 2021 World Series. 

They boast a roster with a little bit of everything in Tim Anderson, Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, Nick Madrigal, Andrew Vaughn, Adam Eaton, Yasmani Grandal, and the crown jewel in my opinion Luis Robert. 

Recently in the Chicago-Sun Times, manager Tony La Russa and Frank Thomas talked about his talent in calling him a ‘six-tool player’. Furthermore, his manager compares him favorably to Mike Trout, whom La Russa got a look at while he was serving as an advisor in the Anaheim system. 

“I know Luis can run, can hit it a mile and can play great defense,” La Russa said. “I mean, those are Mike Trout-type talents. I don’t drop that on Luis right now, except that the talent is — I like Frank’s comment. He’s got six tools. I haven’t heard that about anybody.”

Truly, it was the tale of two months for Robert in his first big league stint in 2020. The youngster hit nine homers with a 1.015 OPS in August before slumping in September. In that month he slashed just .136/.237/.173 with one homer and a .409 OPS. However, he did get five hits in his last three games and crushed a 487-foot homer against the Athletics in Game 1 of the American League wild-card series.

You should remember this one. 

We still remember the first time we got eyes on Robert. It was in the Futures Game in Cleveland, and he almost beat out a room service ground ball for an infield hit. Not only does he have the power and size, but he also has the speed to do just about anything speed can help accomplish on a baseball field. He’s a rare talent physically. 

Robert finished 2021 by posting a slash line of .233/.302/.436 with 11 home runs, 31 RBI and nine stolen bases. Obviously, he’s one of those guys you want to keep a constant eye on in 2021 as he gets a full slate of games to do damage while not being the focal point of the Chicago line-up.