At mid-season in Major League Baseball, there is a center fielder who stands out above the rest. Luis Robert Jr. has had an an explosive first half to campaign, like what was expected of him when he signed with the White Sox in International Free Agency for a whopping 26 million in 2017. Experts consider the outfielder one of the best players in the league under the age of 26.
After being hampered by injuries in 2022 and a slow start in 2023, the native from Guantánamo,Cuba has managed to have an outstanding performance in the first half of the season full of longballs, extra base hits and plenty of runs batted in.
El CF es significado de Luis Robert Jr. pic.twitter.com/UlHmo1zLcW
— MLB Cuba (@mlbcuba) July 13, 2023
This performance led to his selection to the American League team to the All Star Game. Robert leads all centerfielders in hits (92), home runs (26), RBIs (51), runs scored (62), OPS (.899) and slugging percentage (.569). He also is third in batting average with .271 amongst players who play the position. Undoubtedly, he is one of the few untouchable pieces for a team who has had a terrible first and is en route to a rebuild.
At the mid-point of the season the talented Antillean has already bested his career high in roundtrippers by thirteen and might be on the way to hitting 40 homers by seasons end. Robert is the total package when it comes to outfielders. Not does he already have a gold glove under his belt, but he has the best range in the league as per many experts. He has also stolen 8 out of 10 bases on the season.
If he holds up physically, Robert is on pace to have one of the best seasons ever by a Cuban outfielder. Expect Luis Robert Moiran to be an institution and the face of the Chicago White Sox for years to come, even if the team is in rebuild mode.