Pedro Grifol is getting his first shot as an MLB manager with the Chicago White Sox.
He is a wise baseball man with a lot of experience as a coach for one of the White Sox’s division rivals: the Kansas City Royals.
Grifol was there to witness how the Royals made two consecutive World Series, winning the 2015 one.
He compared one of his current players with a former star he had on the Royals during their golden years (2013-15): Alex Gordon.
Specifically, he talked about defense.
“Chicago #WhiteSox manager Pedro Grifol is raving about center fielder Luis Robert: ‘The last time I saw somebody work like that in the outfield was a 9-time Gold Glover, [Royals LF] Alex Gordon. …I think he’s an MVP candidate,'” MLB insider Bob Nightengale tweeted while quoting Grifol.
Chicago #WhiteSox manager Pedro Grifol is raving about center fielder Luis Robert:
"The last time I saw somebody work like that in the outfield was a 9-time Gold Glover, [Royals LF] Alex Gordon. …I think he's an MVP candidate.''— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 1, 2023
Ah, those were the days for Royals fans.
Gordon was MLB’s top prospect for a brief period in the 2000s, and while he didn’t quite have the offensive numbers that were expected from him (he wasn’t bad at all, though), defense was his calling card.
He won a total of nine Gold Gloves.
Robert, who carries much more offensive potential and category juice (his power and speed ceiling are marvelous) than Gordon, already has one Gold Glove, achieved when he was a rookie in 2020.
Health has been an issue so far in his MLB career, but he is likely to avoid injuries one of these years and post a 30-30 season with Chicago.
When injuries let him, he is a true star in center field, and Grifol recognizes this.
The White Sox need a full season from Robert to return to contention.
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