Chicago Luis Department
Luis Robert Jr. (CHW): 3-5, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB.
For nearly a year and a half now, the question has been how much longer Luis Robert Jr. will remain on the South Side.
In 2024, general manager Chris Getz’s first year, the White Sox went through a rebuilding campaign that saw Chicago lose an MLB-record 121 games. Much of the talk during the season was about which team Robert would be traded to at the Trade Deadline. Unfortunately, that didn’t materialize, and the 27-year-old centerfielder will remain with the White Sox in 2025.
The White Sox didn’t trade Robert because of Getz’s reportedly high asking price. Robert’s lacklustre 2024 campaign could also have prevented a transaction.
In 2023, Robert hit 38 home runs, stole 20 bases, and had an OPS of .857. In 2024, he stole 23 bases, but he only hit 14 home runs, and his OPS plummeted to .657. He also had 170 fewer plate appearances and saw his average drop 40 points.
This season, it’s continued to be a free fall for Robert at the plate.
In 196 plate appearances, he is hitting .192 with a .592 OPS. While he has 19 stolen bases, his power has been subpar, evidenced by only five home runs and a .314 slugging percentage. While Robert only has two club options after this year (which makes him less of a financial burden for teams), he isn’t doing anything at the plate this season to prove to other teams that he’s worth acquiring.
However, on Saturday, Robert had a solid day at the plate against a decent (though underperforming) Rangers team.
The White Sox centerfielder had three hits, including two doubles, two runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base in Chicago’s 10-5 win on Saturday. He’s seven-for-seven in stolen bases in May, and his slugging is up nine points, while his average is 61 points better this month.
Thus, there’s some room for optimism with Robert, as a turnaround could make him an option for competitive teams desperate for offense. (Kansas City, perhaps?) even though he won’t nearly command the kind of trade package that Getz and the White Sox envisioned at the start of 2024.
At this point, something is better than nothing for Chicago.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday
Elly De La Cruz (CIN): 2-3, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB, SB.
De La Cruz had a big day for the Reds in their 6-4 win over the Cubs. He not only had two hits but also collected four RBI, hit his ninth home run of the year, and stole his 17th base. The averages haven’t been great for De La Cruz this year. His average is down 11 points, and his OPS is down 61. That said, he’s showing more power in May, which is a good sign that more power is coming in the summer months.
Randal Grichuk (ARI): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI.
After being a useful platoon bat in 2024, Grichuk has not been as effective. His average is down 41 points, and his OPS is down 129. A big issue is that the strikeout rate is up 4.3% while the walk rate is down 1.6%, which is never a good combo. He hit his second home run of the year on Saturday, so maybe he’s returning to his 2024 self, which the Diamondbacks need to compete in a rugged NL West.
Anthony Volpe (NYY): 3-6, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI.
The Yankees did what they should do against the Rockies: obliterate them. There were plenty of standouts in New York’s 13-1 win, but Volpe stood out the most. He had three hits, scored two runs, and collected two RBI. Volpe has seen an uptick in power and walk rate, which has helped him improve his OPS by 100 points from a season ago. The Yankees will certainly take that from the 24-year-old shortstop.
Carson Kelly (CHC): 2-2, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Kelly didn’t start the game initially but finished it on a high note. Against the Reds, he hit his ninth home run of the year, which ties his mark from 2024 (and he did it in 186 fewer plate appearances). Kelly is having a career year with a .301 average and 1.037 OPS. The Statcast percentiles are impressive (89th percentile xwOBA and 70th percentile barrel rate), which should make fantasy managers believe that he is for real.
Jarren Duran (BOS): 2-4, HR, R, RBI, BB.
Duran had himself a solid game one in their doubleheader against Baltimore on Saturday. He had two hits in that contest and launched his fourth home run of the year. It’s probably unlikely that Duran makes the All-Star game again this year unless he gets on a tremendous heater in June. Still, he’s been productive, and the Red Sox need him even more with Alex Bregman going on the IL.
Junior Caminero (TBR): 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI.
The Rays only scored in one inning against the Blue Jays on Saturday. However, that scoring came on a three-run home run by Caminero in the first, which was more than enough in their 3-1 victory. Caminero has nine home runs, but he’s recently cooled down. His OPS went from .739 in April to .594 in May. The Rays could use a big June from Caminero to separate themselves in the AL East.
Kody Clemens (MIN): 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.
The Twins gave the Royals a 4-0 lead, but they came back to win 5-4. Their winning run came on a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth (for the second straight game). Clemens hit the game-tying home run in the sixth, which resulted in Kansas City starter Michael Wacha getting pulled. With four home runs and a 1.009 OPS in 61 plate appearances, the 29-year-old second baseman is doing all he can to shake his “Four-A” player label in his new surroundings in the Twin Cities.
Bo Naylor (CLE): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Naylor only had one hit, his seventh home run of the season. However, he also hit a key sac fly in their 7-5 win over the Tigers. His .200 average remains low, but his OPS is .728, up from his .614 mark a season ago. Naylor is proving a serviceable option in two-catcher leagues, especially in leagues that utilize OBP or OPS over batting average.
Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL): 1-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Acuña has played in two games this year and has two home runs, a sign that his power is back at the very least. He has four strikeouts in nine plate appearances and no walks, but his plate discipline was expected to go through some growing pains after Acuña missed so much time in the last calendar year. Once the batting eye stabilizes a bit, expect Acuña to put up monster fantasy numbers.
