The rise of Luis Robert Jr.
In a miserable season, one person has carried the Chicago White Sox on his back
If you follow me on the dying website known as Twitter, you know I tweet a certain thing whenever Luis Robert Jr. hits a home run in a game I’m watching. Doesn’t matter if it’s a blowout or the first inning, I will put that tweet out.
LUIS ROBERT JR MOTHERFUCKER
— Dante (@DontizzleJones) July 1, 2023
Now, on the day that the All Star Game reserves are to be announced, I’m here to tell you why that if the White Sox only have the required one All-Star, the person going to Seattle is obvious.
Remember the article on bWAR I did that showed that the White Sox are allergic to greatness? Well 3.0 (very good regular) to 5.0 (All-Star) bWAR represent above-average players ... and Robert has 4 bWAR as I type this ON JULY 2. That puts him at third in the American League and fourth across MLB batters. Take out the phenom known as Shohei Othani (who is not considered as only a position player, but pretty much a god of modern baseball), and Robert Jr. is third in all of MLB.
The former Gold-Glover is sixth in A.L. defensive WAR (1.1 bWAR). He’s second in slugging, at .574, and fifth in OPS (.907). His 144 OPS+ is fifth in the Junior Circuit. Oh yeah, he’s second in the A.L. in home runs with 24.
Plus “double” the 4.0 bWAR and Robert is in reach of an 8.0 bWAR season, which is legendary superstar status. Hitting 8.0 bWAR would rank Robert’s season fourth all-time in the 123 years of White Sox baseball, behind only Eddie Collins (9.4 in 1915), Dick Allen (8.6 in his MVP season in 1972) and Minnie Miñoso (8.2 in 1954).
Luis Robert Jr. will almost certainly represent the South Siders on July 11. If he keeps it up, he will finish the season as an MVP finalist. Not too bad for what is essentially a lost season for the White Sox — but at least now you know who you build this team around.