While Luis Robert is busy putting delivering highlights that consistently go viral on social media, his ability to adjust to Major League pitching on the fly will ultimately determine whether he puts together a season worthy of winning American League Rookie of the Year.
But there are plenty of reasons to suggest Robert will adapt quickly. First, the White Sox wouldn't have locked him up to a long-term contract before even playing a Major League game if they didn't believe in his ability to see Major League pitches. Of course, they also figured he would have April and May to adjust if necessary. On the other hand, he no longer needs to worry about hitting in cold weather -- which he's never done before – until at least October.
The ultimate test starts Friday against the Minnesota Twins, but there have been positive signs in intrasquad/exhibition action and Sunday night's 7-3 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field provided another example. Let's just say that Robert's second inning at-bat against Kyle Hendricks didn't go well. Hendricks, known for his craftiness, didn't throw Robert a hittable pitch, but struck him out looking on just three pitches. The third pitch was a nasty breaking ball that dotted the lower outside corner. Even Mike Trout would have had trouble with it.
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But two innings later, Robert came back to the plate and battled. First, he fouled off a tough sinker. Then he pulled a changeup well foul on the next pitch. Steve Stone commented on the NBC Sports Chicago broadcast that Robert needed to watch out for the high fastball on the next pitch, and sure enough, Hendricks threw it. Surprisingly, Robert laid off.
It may be a small example, but the coaching staff surely saw that moment as a victory. On the next pitch, Robert fought off a fastball and deposited it into right field for a single. Two innings later, with a more favorable matchup against Jharel Cotton, Robert hammered an RBI double into the centerfield ivy.
Remember, the home run Robert hit while falling down came against Carlos Rodon. The home run he sent to the moon Saturday was against Steve Cishek – not exactly the type of pitcher you see every day in Triple A. Robert has looked good all month and it has come against legitimate Major League pitching. Another reason to be excited.
A valuable fourth outfielder
As good as Adam Engel has looked in centerfield over the past three seasons, his bat has never looked the part of an every day player. But that doesn't mean he can't be a very valuable piece in 2020.
Engel's speed and defense are already established, and now his bat appears to be coming around. We've seen Engel have strong spring trainings before, so I won't put too much stock in his strong spring and Summer Camp performance, which included a bomb off Hendricks Sunday that nearly reached Waveland Ave. But his recent power surge might be legitimate. In his final 18 games of 2019, Engel hit .310 with four home runs and an OPS of .891. Of course, it's a small sample size and he also struck out 21 times and walked once in 59 plate appearances over that stretch.
Still, on this team, Engel will most likely be coming off the bench as a pinch-runner/defensive replacement with spot starts in right field to give Nomar Mazara a break against lefties. The White Sox won't really be relying on his bat, but if he can provide occasional pop in his limited at-bats, Engel will be a valuable tool for Renteria to use.
Lineup thoughts
I don't want to be guilty of overanalyzing an exhibition lineup, but Sunday's lineup was the first we've seen against an actual opponent and it was notable that Robert, who has primarily hit first or second in intrasquad games, was moved down to No. 6 against the Cubs. That tells me the White Sox expect Yoan Moncada to be available by the weekend. The expectation has always been that Tim Anderson and Moncada would hit 1-2 with Robert starting his Major League career lower in the order. That still makes sense, assuming Moncada won't have to knock off too much rust after missing most of Summer Camp because of a positive COVID-19 test. Renteria hinted that Moncada will be in the lineup at least once in these final two exhibition tune-ups.
Meanwhile, I didn't view Sunday's lineup as good news for Nick Madrigal, who certainly appears ready for the Majors. Perhaps something will change either Monday or Wednesday night, but the smart move is probably to send Madrigal to Schaumburg for a week or two to start the season. If Moncada is truly ready to go, then Leury Garcia is more than capable of starting at second base. It's not worth losing a year of Madrigal's service time, especially because the talented prospect can still make a difference this season. When Madrigal comes up, he needs to be starting. Is he ready to start Friday night against the Twins? Probably. Will the White Sox be OK without him for a week or two? Again, probably.
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White Sox-Cubs takeaways: Luis Robert shows impressive ability to adjust originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
