(670 The Score) We can read all the glowing scouting reports and watch some minor league highlights to get a taste of what's to come, but it's nothing like seeing it right in front of our eyes every day.
White Sox rookie center fielder Luis Robert is every bit as promised already and maybe more, providing entertainment that's not to be missed wherever he may be on the field. The early numbers only tell part of the story, with the 24-year-old currently the second-most valuable position player in MLB, per his Fangraphs WAR of 0.8 after just nine games. His 2.1 defensive runs above average are second only to the Rays' esteemed Kevin Kiermaier, and he's creating value across the board, having accrued runs above average for each category of hitting, fielding and baserunning: 4.1/2.1/0.5.
The joy of this isn't in the metrics, however.
It's in how effortlessly Robert glides from gap to gap in the outfield to eat up fly balls, for one thing. We have yet to see him make a spectacular play at the edge of his range because that aspect is still undefined, as amazing as that is to consider. His jumps are so natural and routes so clean that it's only after the fact that we stop to realize how much ground he just covered to record an out, at one point literally standing and waiting directly in front of right fielder Leury Garcia, who was positioned straightaway.
It's in speed on the bases that was measured at 30.1 feet per second by Statcast, which is faster than Terrance Gore and Billy Hamilton were in 2019. We see what looks like a routine ground ball from the center-field view, but when the director switches cameras Robert is farther down the line than we expect him to be, in the same way Bo Jackson once was. Fielders will begin to hurry now, increasing the chance of an errant throw or bad decision.
And that's if they get a glove on it. Robert recorded a 115.8 mph exit velocity on his first career hit and has displayed easy power that's generated naturally from his swing and not requiring obvious high effort. It's in that, too.
But the whole aesthetic package of "La Pantera" is more than the sum of its parts or a collection of moments. He looks like he was dreamed up in some kind of laboratory in which idealized baseball machines are constructed, with smile and style and swag to spare. No language barrier can prevent the connection that's already being forged between Robert and the fans who have to keep reminding themselves that it's actually their team that landed him. This is how something special announces itself, and his installation at the top of the batting order just means that many added opportunities to stop what we're doing and pay attention.
There were already stars and potential stars in this White Sox lineup, with Tim Anderson winning a batting title, Eloy Jimenez posting a second-half wRC+ of 128 in 2019, Lucas Giolito getting Cy Young votes and Yoan Moncada among the WAR leaders at third base. And Yasmani Grandal was added to push "go" on the competitive phase, validating the rebuild.
Robert was long believed to have the chance to shine brightest, however, and it's only taken him nine career games to show us why.
We can look forward to the day we'll finally see it all up close and in person.
Dan Bernstein is the host of the Dan Bernstein Show on middays from 9 a.m. until noon on 670 The Score. You can follow him on Twitter @Dan_Bernstein.
