TRACK RECORD:

The White Sox signed Robert out of Cuba for $26 million, which went well past their previous franchise high for an amateur player. After spending his first pro season in the Dominican Summer League, Robert spent an inconsistent 2018 in the U.S. He opened eyes in spring training but a torn thumb ligament days before the season meant his debut didn't come until mid-June in the Rookie-level Arizona League. He re-injured the thumb with high Class A Winston-Salem later in the year, then dealt with nagging injuries in the Arizona Fall League as well. Robert then spent all of 2019 displaying strong signs of being a five-tool player once he reaches his peak.

SCOUTING REPORT: Robert is the most tooled-up player the White Sox have had in their system in years. Robert's pure hitting ability might be his weakest tool because of the swing-and-miss in his game. He will chase pitches out of the zone, and scouts have noticed that he has the tendency to commit a bit early on breaking balls. Internally, the White Sox believe that trait appears in part because pitchers have learned to stay away from the juicy parts of the strike zone, which leads Robert to get impatient and try to do damage on pitcher's pitches. If pitchers do bring the ball in the zone, Robert can use his strong hands, muscular frame and elite bat speed to pummel pitches out to all parts of the park. That power was best displayed in 2019 on a home run in Birmingham that cleared the batter's eye in center field. On defense, Robert uses near-elite speed to chase balls down in center field. His arm is double-plus as well—he had seven outfield assists in 2019—which gives him a weapon not present in the skill sets of most center fielders. While the Astros' Kyle Tucker joined him in the 30-30 club, Robert is the first player since 2009 to finish a season with 30 home runs and 10 or more triples.

THE FUTURE: Robert is likely to follow the typical path of the big league-ready super-prospect. On a team that in 2019 featured a pitcher who finished in the top three in the Cy Young voting and another who won the batting title, Robert has the tools and skills to become a true face of the franchise.