White Sox fans need to keep an eye on disappointing trade acquisition's June surge

There was no question at the time that the White Sox decision to send Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets in January was the turning point of their offseason. The White Sox acquired utilityman Luisangel Acuna in the trade, and the moving of Robert’s salary allowed them to bring in additional players to supplement the roster. While the Mets have quickly learned the reality of Robert and he’s spent the majority of the season on the injured list, the White Sox haven’t gotten much on their end of the deal either. But things have started to turn a bit for Acuna this month. Could it be the start of him figuring things out at the plate? 

Acuna began the season as the primary center fielder for the White Sox. A strong spring in which he hit .409 with a 1.003 OPS had the White Sox feeling optimistic, but Acuna quickly fell into a slump once the regular season began. The 24-year-old went just 11-for-60 (.183) with one extra base hit in the month of April. His month of May was even worse, and he hit just .129 with no extra base hits. Acuna’s struggles as well as the strong start of Tristan Peters thrust him into a part-time role rather quickly. As the calendar flipped to June, however, things began to shift for Acuna. 

Luisangel Acuna has played more in June, and his numbers justify it

With the struggles of Jacob Gonzalez and a heavy dose of left-handed pitching on the schedule, Acuna has found himself getting more and more at bats as the season has gone on. Entering Tuesday’s game against the Guardians, Acuna has played 12 games in the month of June. In that span, he’s slashing .407/.429/.556. He’s gotten a hit in six of his last seven games, including hitting his first home run of the season Sunday against the Tigers. He’s looked much more comfortable at the plate, and it’s helping him tap into the baserunning and defensive upside the White Sox know he has. 

It’s far too small of a sample size to call it a turnaround for Acuna. But it’s something worth keeping an eye on as the season goes on. In the short term, there’s an opportunity for Acuna to get some reps at shortstop with Munetaka Murakami on the shelf. Once Murakami returns, he may find his at bats more scarce than they are now, so he’ll need to take advantage of the opportunities he’s given. 

Many White Sox fans may have already chalked the Robert trade up as a wash, or even a loss for the White Sox, but if Luisangel Acuna can continue progressing and get on base enough to make an impact, the White Sox may yet find some value in the deal. He’s the fastest player on the team and speed never slumps, it’s just a matter of getting his bat going. Hopefully the past few weeks are just the beginning.

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