CHICAGO WHITE SOX TOP 10 PROSPECTS
1. LUIS ROBERT, OF
AGE: 22. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-3. WT: 185.
SIGNED: Cuba, 2017.
SIGNED BY: Kenny Williams/Marco Paddy.
TRACK RECORD: The White Sox signed Robert out of Cuba for $26 million, which busted well past their previous franchise high for an amateur player. After spending his first pro season in the Dominican Summer League, Robert spent an inconsistent 2018 in the U.S. He opened eyes in spring training but a torn thumb ligament days before the season meant his debut didn’t come until mid-June in the Rookie-level Arizona League. He re-injured the thumb with high Class A Winston-Salem later in the year, then dealt with nagging injuries in the Arizona Fall League as well. After an offseason to get healthy, Robert spent all of 2019 showing the gifts that led the White Sox to make such a massive outlay for his services. He was one of just two players in the minors with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases and displayed strong signs of being a five-tool player.
Robert is the most tooled-up player the White Sox have had in their system in years and boasts a body befitting of an NFL tight end. His rust and injuries in his first two years obscured his talent, which showed up box scores all season long. Robert’s pure hitting ability might be his weakest tool—which is saying something after he posted a .328 average across three levels—because of the swing-and-miss in his game. He will chase pitches out of the zone, and scouts have noticed that he has the
