Luis Robert is first Sox rookie to win Gold Glove originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Luis Robert is a Gold Glover after his first season playing Major League Baseball.
The White Sox exciting rookie beat out all other American League center fielders for a Gold Glove Award, which was announced Tuesday night.
Robert spent his rookie season showing off all of his much hyped tools, including the ones he put on display while playing defense in the outfield. A combination of speed, athleticism and acrobatics produced more than a couple jaw-dropping plays, none more amazing than a ridiculous diving catch in Kansas City.
RELATED: MLB free agency: 22 potential targets for the White Sox this offseason
But perhaps the attribute that earned the most attention was Robert's range, which was so impressive at times that he stole fly balls away from his fellow White Sox outfielders. He sent White Sox fans into a meme-making frenzy when he drifted all the way into left field and caught a ball in front of a jokingly unamused Eloy Jiménez.
Chicago Baseball
“I have always dreamed of winning a Gold Glove, so this is a dream come true. I joked around this season with Yolmer Sánchez about the possibility of winning it one day and being a Gold Glover like him,” Robert said in a White Sox announcement. “I felt happy with my defense, but I know I can do more and be better. I have to thank Daryl Boston because he helped me adjust to the big leagues and taught me to take better advantage of my defensive skills. This award is a motivation for me.”
The Gold Glove Awards were determined by statistics alone this season, no voting from managers and coaches. Robert led all AL outfielders with 154 total chances and ranked sixth overall in defensive WAR (1.0). He finished the season with a .994 fielding percentage and made just one error.
Robert became the first White Sox rookie to win a Gold Glove. He's the fifth White Sox outfielder to take home the defensive honor and the first in a half century. Previous White Sox outfielders to win a Gold Glove: Ken Berry (1970), Tommie Agee (1966), Jim Landis (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964) and Minnie Miñoso (1957, 1960).
Robert's win gives the White Sox a Gold Glover for the second year in a row. Sánchez won the Gold Glove among AL second basemen in 2019, which was the team's first since Jake Peavy in 2012.
Four of Robert's teammates were nominees for Gold Gloves this season: catchers Yasmani Grandal and James McCann, as well as infielders Danny Mendick and Yoán Moncada. Robert, though, was the team's lone winner.
