Luis Robert Jr. Shines in May, Proving Doubters Wrong

Luis Robert Jr. is carrying the Whtie Sox on his back in May. At the end of April, he was batting .213. Since then he has raised his average up to .268 in just 12 games. In his 12 games since the calendar turned to May, Robert is slashing .415/.510/.878 and tallied five home runs, 13 RBIs, and 13 runs scored.

He was back at it again on Saturday night. In the bottom of the fourth inning, he snapped a scoreless tie by launching a home run 427 feet to left field for his tenth home run of the season. In the bottom of the eighth, he broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single to right field. Robert then added the insurance run by scoring from second base on a shallow bloop single from Seby Zavala.

If that wasn't enough, he added a sliding catch in center field to secure the final out of the game for good measure. This comes just a day after he produced the White Sox's lone run via a mammoth solo home run that left his bat at 110 mph and traveled 428 feet. The sound off the bat told everyone in the park it was gone before it even cleared the fence.

"Got every tool," Tim Anderson said when asked about his teammate after Saturday's 3-1 victory. "It's just a matter of continuing to try to be consistent with it. If he can be consistent with it, he can be for sure a top-five in the game."

This White Sox team has needed every ounce of production they have gotten from Robert. With his home run on Saturday, Robert is the first White Sox player to hit ten home runs this season. Last season José Abreu was the first White Sox player to reach double digits, and it didn't come until July 4th.

Robert leads the White Sox in home runs and is tied for seventh in the MLB. The 25-year-old also owns a team-leading 40 hits and a .537 slugging percentage. Meanwhile, Robert's 26 RBIs and a .331 OBP are the second-highest on the South Side.

Robert had lofty expectations placed upon him since entering the White Sox organization. His skill set drew early comparisons to Mike Trout, while Eloy Jimenez touted him as "the next Babe Ruth." Those are unfair expectations to place on any kid. If he is playing like an average MLB player, he is considered a disappointment, and when he goes through rough patches, fans are quick to press the panic button, labeling him a bust.

It is easy to forget that he is the most complete player on the White Sox. We have seen flashes of greatness. He has just never been able to put everything together.

Robert won a Gold Glove in 2020 but had some growing pains at the plate. He got injured early in 2021, so his numbers don't reflect how good he was down the stretch. He began blossoming in 2022 until more injuries derailed him, and his defense took a massive step back.

After a sluggish start to the season, things are clicking once again for him at the plate, and any concerns with his glove in center field have evaporated. Robert's Outs Above Average ranks him in the MLB's top five percentile.

Oh yeah, as far as those Mike Trout comparisons go, Robert has more home runs and RBIs than him through 40 games this season. Barring an injury, Robert is primed to have the season fans envisioned when the White Sox first signed him.