White Sox center fielder Luis Robert is going to be an absolute force to be reckoned with for the next 8+ years on the South Side. After a rookie campaign that had incredible highs and some horrid lows, Robert finished in second place for ROY honors behind the Mariners phenom Kyle Lewis.
📢IBWAA Rookie of the Year📢
The IBWAA selects Kyle Lewis of the @Mariners and Jake Cronenworth of the @Padres as our 2020 Rookies of the Year! #Mariners #Padres https://t.co/rrdRX9Dqjh pic.twitter.com/fmuKwZihZs
— IBWAA (@IBWAA) November 2, 2020
Just because Robert wasn’t able to come away with the award, doesn’t mean that his season wasn’t a success. He showed that he is absolutely worth the hype and the early contract extension by flashing a power/speed combo that few if any can match. Who knows what would have happened in a 162 game season? He started to get hot during the playoff series vs Oakland, and hit the furthest White Sox home run of the year in Game 3.
On the defensive side, Robert displayed Gold Glove defense and will surely win a handful of those in the future as well.
Luis Robert went full superman on this #SCtop10 catch 🤯 pic.twitter.com/k2q2wBaRLR
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 6, 2020
Think about this: In a 60 game season, Robert put up an fWAR of 1.5. That translates to roughly a 4fWAR player over 162 games as a rookie. Imagine what kind of numbers he will put up after he has more seasoning at the MLB level. He could have a ceiling of a 7-8 win player, if not higher.
Future 30-30 Player?
We already mentioned how Robert’s power/speed combo is a threat to be the best in baseball. He went 30-30 in the minor leagues during the 2019 season, and with more experience, he should be that type of player for the White Sox. He had 11 home runs and 9 stolen bases in 56 games in 2020 so he was more or less on pace to accomplish the feat over the course of a full season.
The White Sox have never had a 30-30 player before (home runs and stolen bases) unless you count Bobby Bonds, who played 26 games for the Sox in 1978 and the rest of the year with Texas.
Kyle Lewis Deserved The Award
As good as Robert was in 2020, he had a prolonged slump where he looked completely lost at the plate during the last 3rd of the season. Kyle Lewis was far and away the more consistent player, and put up a 1.7 fWAR. In the long-term though, give me Luis Robert every day. His defense separates him from Lewis and will be the more complete player overall. Lewis is an absolute stud though, and nothing should be taken away from him and he absolutely deserved ROY. When you compare ceilings though, Robert’s is higher all the way.
Bright Future Ahead
Luis Robert is only going to get better and will be a blast to watch on the South Side for years to come. He could be the team’s first 30-30 player (over a full season) and should be in MVP discussions down the road. Whether it be at the plate or in the field, Robert will find a way to contribute damn near every game for the White Sox. So although he didn’t come away with the ROY, I’m sure we’ll see Luis Robert win his fair share of awards down the road. Hopefully some of those are championships.
