One of the most frustrating and polarizing players in recent White Sox history, there was never any denying the talent possessed by Luis Robert Jr. From the day Chicago signed him out of Cuba in 2017, fans knew about the five-tool talent he possessed. Robert showed promise in the minor leagues, but his truly dominant 2019 season in which he posted a 1.000 OPS and 32 home runs across three minor league levels is the year that had White Sox fans truly believing he could become a superstar. Now, seven years later, Robert’s career has been nothing but a disappointment and frustration, and the Orioles became the third team to learn that lesson this week.
After the White Sox finally cut ties with Robert this offseason, dealing him to the Mets in the trade that brought them Luisangel Acuna, New York hoped to get Robert’s best out for the first time in a few years. Robert’s most productive season in 2023 saw him play a career-high 145 games, slug 38 homers, and post an OPS of .857, and White Sox fans hoped it was the start of him becoming a star in the league. Unfortunately, the 2024 and 2025 seasons were full of injuries and poor performance, and the White Sox elected to move on from Robert instead of paying him $20 million in 2026 and hoping for a bounce-back.
Robert continued his recent trends with the Mets and Orioles
Robert joined a Mets team hoping to contend for a World Series this season and got off to a hot start, going 5-for-15 with a home run in March. His production dipped after that, and by the end of April, Robert was back on the injured list with a back injury. He missed nearly two months with the injury, returning in late July, and it took until August for him to find his groove at the plate. The Mets explored a trade for Robert at the deadline but couldn’t find a taker, and he hit .267 with six home runs in the month of August, including a multi-homer game during the Mets series in Chicago against the White Sox. The Mets ended up putting Robert on waivers ahead of the August 31st roster deadline, and he was claimed by the Orioles, who had gotten hot and were right in the thick of the wild card race in the AL. The San Diego Padres also tried to claim Robert, but Baltimore was ahead in the waiver order.
Luis Robert Jr. has a multi-homer game against his former team! pic.twitter.com/boMjvRH2l1
— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2026
Robert joined the Orioles on September 2nd, going 2-for-11 with a home run in three games before heading back to the injured list with a hamstring strain. This is the third time since the start of 2025 Robert has suffered a hamstring injury, and at this point in the calendar, he’s unlikely to play again this season. The Orioles got just three games out of him, and they’ll now have a choice about whether or not to pick up his $20 million option for 2027, which seems highly unlikely. Baltimore took a shot on a high-upside outfielder to give them a boost for their playoff run, and once again, a team learned about the reality of Luis Robert Jr.
White Sox fans will always remember Robert as a supremely talented player who couldn’t stay consistent and stay on the field, and his tenure in Chicago will be known as a missed opportunity. We’ll see who the next team is to learn that difficult lesson.
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