Star power: How White Sox's Robert Jr. has become one of baseball's best
White Sox fans have known all about Luis Robert Jr.'s MVP-caliber potential, but he was largely out of sight and out of mind the past two years.
Robert played only 98 games last season while dealing with a sprained left wrist, blurred vision and a bout with COVID-19.
In 2021, he missed over half the season with a serious right hip injury.
"I think in the time I spent on the field, I had good results," Robert said through an interpreter. "Due to the injuries, I couldn't play as many games as I wanted."
Robert has stayed healthy this season, and now he's making a name for himself.
After a slow start, the Sox's 25-year-old center fielder warmed up in May and he's been on fire ever since.
"I already told you guys a bunch of times what he's capable of doing," designated hitter Eloy Jimenez said. "I'm not surprised at any kind of stuff he does because I know how talented he is."
Still, Robert's five-tool skills remain widely unknown outside of Guaranteed Rate Field. Manager Pedro Grifol had an interesting observation about that.
"If you're a baseball fan and you don't know who he is by now, you're probably not watching too much baseball," Grifol said.
Hardcore fans and fantasy players undoubtedly know who Robert is. By this time next week, the casual crowd should also be on board.
Robert is going to be the Sox's lone representative in Tuesday night's All-Star Game in Seattle. He's also participating in Monday's Home Run Derby.
It's taken some time, but Robert has become the player the White Sox were hoping to get when they invested over $50 million to sign him as a 19-year-old out of Cuba in 2017.
"Watching his growth as a player has been incredible," starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. "When he first came here, we could all see he was a superstar in the making. Now, it's happening live. What he does for this team offensively and defensively, it's amazing. Excited to watch him in the All-Star Game and excited to keep having him behind me hitting all those homers."
The power has been a surprise to many. Not the White Sox.
"When we originally signed him, he projected out as a 30-30 guy when he became the player that fulfilled the tools," general manager Rick Hahn said. "I'll say right now, he's obviously an All-Star and well on his way to becoming one of the superstars in this game. But he's a better player today than he was six weeks ago. He is continuing to evolve. He's a very young, especially in terms of the amount of time he's been in the States, a young professional.
"You've seen his approach at the plate change the last six weeks. That is a direct result of the work he was doing, making it a priority, in game prep. When he's able to reign in and counterattack what pitchers are trying to do to him and to go up there with a specific plan, he's awfully dangerous and we've seen that over the last month plus."
Heading into Saturday's play, Robert was tied for third in MLB with 26 home runs and he was tied for 10th in the American League with 22 doubles while hitting .271/.331/.572 in 87 games.
Over his first three seasons with the Sox, the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder hit 36 homers in 222 games.
"He's always had power," 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."
Built more like a football player, Robert has already hit 15 home runs that have traveled 400-plus feet.
The mammoth power will be on display Monday in the Home Run Derby.
"I won't try to pull every single ball because that can create some issues," Robert 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."
Grifol views Robert as the Home Run Derby favorite.
"I think he is," the White Sox's manager said. "He doesn't get rattled so therefore he's not going to get as tired. He doesn't change his swing and he's got easy power. He's got the makeup to win this thing. Now, what happens when there's 40,000 people there and you've got a little heat on you, I don't know.
"But he's certainly got the makeup. He's not afraid of the big stage and he's got the swing and the mentality for it. He's definitely got the endurance for it."