Robert produces a grand Triple-A debut
It took two official at-bats for Luis Robert to serve notice he had arrived in the International League. In case anyone missed it, he sent a not-so-subtle reminder two innings later.The top White Sox prospect hit a pair of homers -- including his first professional grand slam -- and finished
It took two official at-bats for Luis Robert to serve notice he had arrived in the International League. In case anyone missed it, he sent a not-so-subtle reminder two innings later.
The top White Sox prospect hit a pair of homers -- including his first professional grand slam -- and finished with a career-high seven RBIs in his Triple-A debut as Charlotte outlasted Gwinnett, 15-12, at BB&T Ballpark.
It was the second multi-homer game of the season and career for Robert, who went deep twice on Opening Night for Class A Advanced Winston-Salem.
The Havana, Cuba, native jumped into his debut with a flyout to right field on the first pitch he saw in the first inning. His sacrifice fly to right in the second evened the score, 2-2, which was a precursor to the fireworks to come.
With two runs in and the bags juiced in the third, Robert hit a no-doubter over the fence in left-center field. He cleared the fence in left-center again in the fifth after Trey Michalczewski's two-run shot and stroked an RBI single to center in his next at-bat. He was retired on a comebacker in his final at-bat in the eighth.
Gameday box score
"Ever since I got to Double-A, all the guys talked about was how the ball didn't travel much," Robert said through Knights coach and translator Anthony Santiago. "They told me, 'Don't worry. Wait until you get to Charlotte and see how the ball travels there.' Thank God, today I had a good game. I want to keep working hard and try to get better every day."
Robert has batted .353/.402/.637 with 45 extra-base hits, 66 runs, 60 RBIs and 29 stolen bases in 76 games across three levels this season. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder entered 2019 with three career home runs in 270 at-bats -- all coming in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2017. He's gone deep 18 times in 306 at-bats this year.
In the midst of an eye-popping season that vaulted him to MLB.com's No. 5 overall prospect, Robert earned his second promotion of 2019 when he was assigned to Charlotte on Saturday. The move came a day before he appeared in the All-Star Futures Game in Cleveland, where he went hitless in four at-bats.
The layoff between game action didn't seem to hurt Robert. Besides his Futures Game participation, the 21-year-old had not played since hitting a homer in three at-bats last Friday for Double-A Birmingham. His final game with the Barons left him with a .314/.362/.518 slash line, 27 extra-base hits and 29 RBIs in 56 Southern League contests. Those figures don't include his MVP performance in the circuit's All-Star game last month. He tripled, doubled and drove in two runs.
Robert was eager after the game to get a different perspective of his debut.
"I'm very excited to get to my phone to see what everybody's talking about and to see videos of the home runs and everything else," he said. "I want a chance to see what I actually did."
Danny Mendick doubled and equaled his personal best with four hits and scored three times for Charlotte, which withstood several rallies from Gwinnett.
Matt Foster (4-1) surrendered a hit and struck out two in a scoreless frame out of the bullpen to pick up the win.
Alex Jackson led the charge offensively for the Stripers. The No. 22 Braves prospect went 4-for-5 with two roundtrippers, a double and a career-high six RBIs. It was the second multi-homer game in nine contests for the 23-year-old catcher, who produced his third four-hit game and the first since June 21, 2018 with Double-A Mississippi.
Rafael Ortega matched Jackson with a season-best four hits and Jack Lopez finished 3-for-4 with a homer, walk and two RBIs.
Gwinnett starter Bryse Wilson (4-7) endured the worst start of his career. Atlanta's No. 5 prospect surrendered nine runs on eight hits and three walks with two strikeouts in a season-low 2 2/3 innings. The right-hander threw a wild pitch and hit a batter.
Michael Avallone is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @MavalloneMiLB.
Here are the new Top 30 Prospects lists for every MLB organization
MLB Pipeline released its Top 100 Prospects list in late January, but that didn't mark the end of rankings season. With Spring Training well underway, our team-by-team Top 30s have been unveiled. Our rollout began with the AL and NL East on Monday and the Central Divisions on Tuesday. We're
With historic K's, Mitchell carved own legend
There are many legends surrounding Babe Ruth and his mighty bat, his larger-than-life persona that commanded every ballpark and every camera. But this tale is about the Great Bambino striking out and the pitcher who maybe fooled him. This is a story about a girl named Jackie.
Triple-A National Championship returns to Las Vegas in September
Minor League Baseball announced that the 2025 Triple-A National Championship Game, which will feature the winners of the International League and Pacific Coast League meeting in a single-game format, will be played on Saturday, Sept. 27 in Las Vegas. The Triple-A National Championship Game, which will follow the best-of-three League
Royals' Zobac talks spring, two-way past on podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
1 prospect from every team making noise this spring
Spring Training isn’t just a warm-up for established players, it’s also a chance for prospects to showcase their skills and see how they measure up in a big league setting.
Space Potatoes? Hooch Pooches? Check out these new alternate identities
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Paying homage to Negro Leagues, this team is MiLB's "hoppinest"
Nicknamed “baseball’s most hoppinest team” by the local newspaper coverage at the time, the Fredericksburg Frogs were one of the Chesapeake Bay area’s more successful Negro League teams in the 1920s, standing out amid a long lineage of segregated Black teams that played in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia, between the 1880s
The year after Jackie, Ritchey integrated PCL
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2018. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
Each team's top power hitting prospect for '25
The home run is the most efficient event in sports. It’s the maximum outcome a single batter can achieve, and all it takes is one swing. One very powerful, well-timed, well-coordinated swing. It’s why power is such an important tool in prospect development and evaluation. You can put the ball
Here are the 10 best potential prospect matchups at Spring Breakout
Spring Breakout will soon offer the opportunity for the majority of baseball's top prospects to face off against each other for the second straight year. Fearsome sluggers against hard-throwing pitchers. Speedy baserunners against cannon-armed catchers. Well-rounded shortstops battling to prove who should be ranked higher. Full rosters for all 30
10 prospects at Spring Training who are lighting up Statcast
One of the best parts of Spring Training every year is getting to see the top prospects in baseball. A lot of the time, it's the first look fans get at MLB's future stars. But we also know a lot more about those prospects going into Spring Training than we
Questions plague Peeples' trailblazing story
A version of this story previously appeared on MiLB.com in 2007. We present it again as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
Prospects to watch this spring -- one for each team
Spring may not have arrived quite yet, but Spring Training has! Players have reported to camp and exhibition games kick off Thursday with the Cubs visiting the Dodgers in Glendale, Ariz.
8 of the best team matchups in Spring Breakout
After Spring Breakout's dynamic debut last year, the prospect showcase event returns in full force for 2025. All 30 Major League teams will field squads of top prospects to face off in 16 games from March 13-16 -- the Cubs and Nationals will play twice since there's an odd number
Fowler: A 19th-century baseball pioneer
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
Everything you need to know about prospects and Spring Training
This story was excerpted from MLB Pipeline's newsletter. Subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Arkansas-based Mariners affiliate to honor legacy of the Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine sounds like it could be the name of a baseball team playing in Arkansas' capital city, and for three nights during the 2025 season, it will be. The story behind the name transcends baseball, however. From Aug. 21-23, the Arkansas Travelers -- Seattle's Double-A affiliate --
MiLB podcast breaks down Spring Training storylines
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Leaf Peepers? Thunder Chickens?! Coming to the Minors this year
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Dodgers greats Newcombe and Campanella made history as Minors teammates
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
15 prospects primed for a bounceback season from injury
A lot of players will be getting a fresh start heading into the 2025 season. Prospects who missed significant time due to injury have had upwards of six months between regular-season games to return to health. Now they'll be looking to re-establish their value and maybe even reach new heights.