Chicago White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr. Recognized as Top 10 Center Fielder in MLB

MLB Network restarted its "Top 10 Players Right Now" series on Tuesday, with Chicago White Sox slugger Luis Robert Jr. narrowly making the cut among center fielders.

Sep 13, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) catches a fly ball hit by Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (not pictured) during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

With trade rumors continuing to swirl around Luis Robert Jr., the Chicago White Sox star has earned some major praise heading into 2025.

MLB Network kicked off its annual "Top 10 Players Right Now" series on Tuesday, starting with center fielders. Past performance, offensive and defensive metrics and input from the MLB Network research team were all taken into account, resulting in Seattle Mariners standout Julio Rodríguez taking hold of the top spot.

Robert, meanwhile, came in at No. 10.

The 27-year-old Robert hit just .224 with 14 home runs, 35 RBI, 23 stolen bases, a .657 OPS and a 1.4 WAR in 2024, appearing in just 100 games due to a right hip flexor strain. That spotty showing justifies why Robert dropped from No. 3 to No. 10 year-over-year, but he isn't that far removed from true stardom.

Robert was an All-Star and Silver Slugger in 2023, batting .264 with 38 home runs, 80 RBI, 20 stolen bases, an .857 OPS and a 5.0 WAR across 145 games.

And while Robert had struggled with injuries up to that point in his career, he was AL Rookie of the Year runner-up and a Gold Glove winner in 2020. Between 2020 and 2023, Robert hit .279 with an .827 OPS, averaging 33 home runs, 93 RBI, 20 stolen bases, six defensive runs saved and a 5.5 WAR per 162 games.

Here is the full list of top 10 center fielders that MLB Network compiled for 2025:

1. Julio Rodríguez, SEA
2. Jackson Merrill, SD
3. Byron Buxton, MIN
4. Michael Harris II, ATL
5. Mike Trout, LAA
6. Brandon Marsh, PHI
7. Daulton Varsho, TOR
8. Garrett Mitchell, MIL
9. Oneil Cruz, PIT
10. Luis Robert Jr., CWS

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