As I watched the highlight replay of Luis Robert golfing a low slider for a walk-off three run homer over the left field wall in just his second game with the Mets, I will admit that my first thought was how much the White Sox will miss him. On reflection though, I thought of the old saying, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Shame on me. I should know better. White Sox fans DO know better.
LUIS ROBERT JR. WALK-OFF HOME RUN 🍎 pic.twitter.com/3kYwV3BTav
— MLB (@MLB) March 28, 2026
After all, Sox fans have seen this before. Flashes of talent mixed in with inconsistency and injuries. Luis Robert Jr. embodies the frustrating and epic failure of the first rebuild attempt of the late 2010s and early 2020s on the Southside (I'm also looking at you, Eloy Jimenez, Lucas Giolito, and Yoan Moncada!).
Robert did indeed have talent while in Chicago, and still does. A player doesn't win a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove on accident. In a COVID shortened year in 2020, Luis was in the top 20 in the American League in Runs (20th), Home Runs (16th), and Stolen Bases (6th). His 2023 season was magical. Robert put up 38 home runs to go along with 20 stolen bases. This was easily his best full-season showing as a hitter. However, even in that impressive campaign, there were imperfections: 172 strikeouts, a .264 average, and a .315 OBP. White Sox fans hoped the 2023 outburst was the start of a breakout rather than an outlier, but alas, it was not to be.
Luis Robert Jr's injury history always overshadowed his upside
The rest of his time with the Silver and Black seemed like one big tease. They say that the best ability is availability, and Robert didn't have it. That 2023 season was the only time he finished with more than 400 at-bats. In 2021, he was on the injury list twice, with the biggest headache coming from a right hip flexor strain that caused him to miss more than two months. The 2022 campaign produced five more trips to the IL. After the high of 2023, 2024 saw another right hip flexor strain, 2 weeks of rehab, and only 392 ABs. In 2025, a left hamstring strain turned into two more 10-day IL stints, and his season ending in August. And Robert's wondering why fans didn't come to games? Perhaps if he played more, White Sox fans would've had more reason to go.
Even with that game-winning blast and a 5-for-11 start to the 2026 season, Mets' backers have already been holding their breath with Robert. Is it possible that Robert will finally put together a productive and healthy season now that he's out of the "White Sox curse"? Sure. But it's far more likely that Robert will come back to what he's always been. For now, fans in Flushing are thrilled. White Sox fans know better though. They know Fool's Gold when they see it.