ESPN Names White Sox' Luis Robert Jr. Among Most Overrated on Top 100 List

ESPN names Luis Robert Jr. among overrated on Top 100 list originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

ESPN dropped their Top 100 MLB Players list and it was pretty favorable to the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox had five players one the list, tied for eighth most in the league with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners.

One of those players was center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who came in 92. One of three White Sox players in the final 10 spots.

ESPN had a companion piece for the list, calling out snubs, overrated and underrated players.

And Robert was picked by Buster Olney as the most overrated player on the Top 100 list.

“Few players look the part more than Luis Robert does with the power and the speed and the defense,” Olney wrote. “But at some point, you have to stay on the field to justify a top-100 standing, and he’s missed a ton of games — 94 in 2021 and 64 in 2022.

“The most homers he’s hit in any season is 13, and the most steals he’s racked up is 11. It’s clear from his production in his truncated seasons that he’s capable of greatness, but if he’s going to be ranked on this list ahead of someone like Tommy Edman, who is consistent and durable, he’s got to be in the lineup more often.”

Robert has struggled staying healthy and on the field, that’s a fair criticism and a legit concern for the team. And injury woes for the White Sox extend far beyond simply Robert, though he may be the face of it.

And Olney is right, we’ve seen the flashes of Robert that has consistently brought up MVP conversation. New manager Pedro Grifol said as much earlier this year.

“This guy has an opportunity to win an MVP, in my opinion,” Grifol said. “If he puts it all together, it’s special.

“We’ve all seen the power. We’ve seen the speed. We’ve seen the way he runs out there in center field. And how he plays defense and steals bases.

“There’s really nothing he can’t do on a baseball field. We just got to keep him out there for 162.”

He’s just got to stay healthy, and we’ll see if 2023 is the year it all finally comes together.