‘He’s got a lot more’: Grifol, Pillar see potential for greatness in Luis Robert Jr.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — While the Chicago White Sox have plenty of questions surrounding several positions out on the diamond heading into the 2024 Major League Baseball season, center field is not one of them, and the sky’s set to be the limit for Luis Robert Jr. this year.

“I’ve had a few players in my career that I would never even dream of setting goals for,” said White Sox manager Pedro Grifol Tuesday. “I’m always hesitant to say, okay, this is the goal, and limit [Robert] to that because he’s got a lot more, and he’s one of them.”

In 2023, Robert became the first player in franchise history to record 35-plus home runs and doubles, 80-plus RBI’s, 90-plus runs scored and 20-plus stolen bases in a single season. Robert’s final slash line was .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs, 36 doubles, 80 RBI’s, 90 runs scored and 20 stolen bases.

“Luis Robert’s a pretty big star in this game that maybe people outside of Chicago and [the AL Central] don’t really get a chance to see,” said outfielder Kevin Pillar, who signed a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp with the White Sox in February. “I was fortunate enough to watch [Ronald] Acuna [Jr] do his thing last year and from everything that I’ve gathered … He has those same types of star quality.”

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After finishing 61-101 and fourth in the AL Central in 2023, the White Sox had multiple offensive and defensive needs to address at various positions, but most prominently up the middle of the diamond at second base, shortstop and catcher, in right field, where most common starter Oscar Colas posted an OPS+ of 55, and starting pitcher on the backend of the rotation.

White Sox general manager Chris Getz attacked those needs by trading for the likes of players like starting pitchers Michael Soroka and Jared Schuster, utility infielder Nicky Lopez and outfielder Dominic Fletcher, while also signing shortstop Paul DeJong, starting pitcher Erick Fedde, and catchers Max Stassi and Martin Maldonado in free agency.

With an almost completely fresh starting nine expected to take the diamond in 2024, Grifol and company hope Robert can return to the same form he put on display last year, while taking another step toward becoming an even bigger star in center field for the White Sox.

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