The New York Mets acquired center fielder Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox during a busy week in January, betting on his potential after a few down seasons.
The New York Mets are taking a one-year gamble on former All-Star center fielder Luis Robert Jr. with hopes that the 28-year-old will tap into his former self with the club.
When Robert got to The Show in 2020, Chicago White Sox fans were extremely excited because of the pure talent “La Pantera” had. When you hear the term “five-tool player,” Robert fits the bill – incredible power, contact, defense, arm and speed.
He played 56 games during the COVID-shortened season and won the American League Gold Glove in center while also finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Robert was a league-average hitter, slashing .233/.302/.436 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI, but it was a promising start to his career.
He even got his first taste of the postseason, batting .308 with an .846 OPS in three games before Chicago was eliminated.
Unfortunately for Robert, the 2021 season brought on the injury bug that has yet to leave him. He missed significant time with a right hip flexor tear, causing him to only play 68 games. Even more unfortunate is how well he played when he was on the field – he hit 13 homers with 43 RBI while slashing .338/.378/.567, producing a terrific 154 OPS+.
The following season was a bit healthier, as Robert played 98 games, but his OPS dropped by 200 points. Still, he set career-highs in several categories and played solid defense. The real breakout came the next season in 2023; the year he earned his lone All-Star selection.
Robert was healthy and played 145 games, belting 38 homers with 80 RBI and swiping 20 bags on 24 stolen base attempts. He also took home a Silver Slugger award after slashing .264/.315/.542 and accumulated 5.3 bWAR, earning him a 12th-place finish in AL Most Valuable Player voting.
2024 and 2025 involved more injuries and missed games, though, and he played just 100 games and 110 games respectively. And once again, his OPS dropped 200 points (.857 to .657). Last season, Robert finished with a .661 OPS and hit 14 homers with 53 RBI and struck out over 100 times for the third straight season.
He’s still young, and the injury history is concerning, but the Mets are taking a flier on him in the final year of his contract. His health is such a concern that New York is holding Robert out of spring training games to build his lower body strength (the source of most of his injuries), and yet, he is still highly valued because of the immense talent that’s in there.
ESPN’s Buster Olney ranked his top 10 center fielders for 2026, with Robert slotting in the ninth spot. Olney noted that while the Mets believe in his upside, he needs to stay on the field and improve against power pitchers.
“But [2023] was the only season -- in a career that began in 2020 -- when Robert played in more than 110 games,” Olney wrote Thursday. “Last year, Robert struggled against power pitchers (as defined by Baseball Reference), batting .193 with a .337 slugging percentage.”
The change of scenery to New York and being surrounded by a ton of great hitters could reignite the fire inside Robert and get the most out of him, but he needs to be healthy.