Chicago White Sox fans have been waiting all summer for Luis Robert Jr. to heat up and look like the five-tool superstar they know he is capable of being.
He looked the part in Pittsburgh to open the second half of the 2025 season, but Sox fans shouldn't be fooled by three good games.
White Sox fans have been waiting for 2023 Luis Robert Jr. to return
2023 Luis Robert Jr. was one of the best centerfielders in baseball for an extended period of time. He hit 38 home runs, stole 20 bases, and played elite defense all year.
Ever since his injury in April of 2024, White Sox fans (and front office executives) have been waiting for that version of Luis Robert Jr. to return.
The White Sox turned down multiple trade offers in the offseason. Chris Getz and Chicago's front office refused to sell low on a player that they know can win a game single-handedly. Robert's trade value was down after his underwhelming 2024 season, and the White Sox were betting on a bounce back 2025 campaign that would re-establish Robert as one of the game's best all-around players.
Sadly, things have only gotten worse. At the All-Star break, Luis Robert Jr.'s OPS was .599. He has yet to put together an extended streak of strong play this season.
With the White Sox opening the second half of 2025 with a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, it was the closest we have seen Luis Robert Jr. to looking like his "old self" in months.
Luis Robert Jr. dominates the Pirates at PNC Park
In three games against the Pirates this past weekend, Luis Robert Jr. was 5-for-10 with a home run, three RBIs, three stolen bases, three walks, and only one strikeout. He also flashed his Gold Glove defense with one of the best catches of the season.
Robert Jr. had a 1.415 OPS for the weekend and scored an eye-popping seven runs in three games. It raised his season OPS from .599 to .631.
Of course Luis Robert Jr. would homer after his incredible grab 🤯 https://t.co/ggJR1GAFS4 pic.twitter.com/GfIwOu6dBv
— MLB (@MLB) July 18, 2025
Every at-bat, Robert Jr. seemed to be more dialed in. He wasn't chasing pitches, and when he got on base, he made the Pirates pay.
25 stolen bases is a new career high for Robert Jr., and he currently looks like he can steal bags at will. He just needs to keep getting on first base.
White Sox fans should not be fooled by Robert Jr.'s big weekend
This weekend in Pittsburgh, Luis Robert Jr. reminded contending teams what he's capable of doing when he's seeing the ball well.
For a weekend, 2023 Luis Robert Jr. was back and the White Sox once again had a five-tool superstar taking over games. But until we see an extended sample size of this production, that's all it was...a weekend.
I don't want White Sox fans to be fooled into thinking "Luis Robert Jr. is back" or start second guessing if it's smart to trade him at the deadline. We all need to accept that Robert is forever going be an inconsistent and remarkably frustrating player, which is exactly why the White Sox need to move on.
Weekends like this are going to happen. He is going to show moments of greatness. But even if Robert Jr. continues to rake over the next 10 days before the deadline and continues to raise his season OPS back towards league average, I'm not buying that things are going to be any different in 2026.
As good as Robert Jr. was in Pittsburgh, he only hit two balls over 80 mph on the weekend. His home run was absolutely clobbered, but a lot of his offensive success came from batted ball luck and good speed on the bases.
The White Sox still need to trade Luis Robert Jr. for as much as possible. It would take a miracle for his $20 million club option to be worth picking up in the offseason, and letting him walk away for free would be silly.
It was nice to see Luis Robert Jr. playing like his old self in Pittsburgh, but that's not who he is anymore. All of the underlying metrics back that up, and I hope White Sox fans recognize that before the trade deadline, otherwise they'll have their hearts broken by Robert once again.