Robert's latest blast inches him closer to White Sox history

WASHINGTON -- It’s been a difficult month of September amid an outstanding year personally for Luis Robert Jr., who, despite his late-season slump, still has two weeks to keep swinging his way into the White Sox record books. If the rest of the month is anything like Monday night, Robert shouldn’t have much trouble finishing strong.

Robert’s 36th home run jolted the offense and Mike Clevinger continued his own strong finish as the White Sox commenced their rare trip to the nation’s capital with a 6-1 series-opening win over the Nationals at Nationals Park. Mired in a 6-for-40 slump and hitless in his last 16 at-bats entering play, Robert hit his first home run since Aug. 30, a three-run fifth-inning shot that provided the highlight behind Clevinger, who finished Chicago’s first complete game of the season after the benches briefly cleared following Dom Smith’s shutout-squashing homer in the ninth.

“Changed the game,” manager Pedro Grifol said.

Said Clevinger, on the offensive support: “When they give me room to work with, it’s way more fun to be out there, and even gives me a chance to grow as a player and try different things. The more lead they give me, the more it sets me up to be better in my next start.”

Robert’s blast also brought back into focus the big round numbers he’s chasing as the White Sox play out the string. Here is a look at a few of them.

Luis Robert Jr. through 140 games: .261/.313/.534, .847 OPS, 36 HR, 35 doubles, 86 runs, 78 RBIs, 17 stolen bases

What if he got …

… Three more steals
Already the personification of power and speed, Robert needs three steals to go 30-30-20. That is: at least 30 homers, 30 doubles and 20 steals in the same season. Magglio Ordonez became the only player in franchise history to do it in 2001, when he racked up 31 homers, 40 doubles and 25 bags.

Robert is already the only player in franchise history with at least 35 doubles, 35 homers, 75 RBIs, 85 runs scored and 15 stolen bases in the same season, and the only player in MLB to accomplish that feat in 2023. Three more steals would put him in even more rarified air. He’d become only the 21st in MLB history to record at least one such season, and the first since Trevor Story in 2019.

… Four more homers
With 11 games to go, Robert probably isn’t going to catch Shohei Ohtani (44) for the American League lead. But can he pop four more to get to 40? Why not?

Doing so would make Robert the eighth player in franchise history to reach the 40-homer mark (they’ve collectively done it 12 times), and the first since Todd Frazier in 2016. Robert’s 36 homers are already the franchise’s most in a season by a center fielder, and the most by a Sox outfielder since Carlos Quinten (also 36) in 2008.

“I wanted to [get 40], and I still want to, but I have to be realistic,” Robert said through team interpreter Billy Russo. “It’s not that I feel good enough with the season I’ve had, but to be honest, I’ve reached most of the goals I had for this season already. Whatever happens the next couple days, it’ll be OK.”

… Four more homers AND five more doubles
Nine extra-base hits in a week and a half? That’s a tall task for anyone, but it’s not impossible, and not entirely out of the question for a slugger like Robert.

Four more homers and five more doubles would give Robert 40 of each on the season. It’s not exactly the famed 40-40 club, but it would still be pretty notable. While there have been 38 previous 40 HR/40 2B seasons in AL/NL history, only two came from White Sox -- Albert Belle’s in 1998 (48 2B, 49 HR) and Frank Thomas’ in 2000 (44 2B, 43 HR). So Robert would become the third player in franchise history, and the first in 23 years.

“It’s important for me to finish strong,” said Robert. “That is the hardest part for me to digest right now. This is not the way I wanted to finish the season. I am trying to get into that groove again."

He’s already only the fifth player in franchise history with 35 homers and 35 doubles in the same season and, along with Mookie Betts, one of only two players in MLB to accomplish that feat this season.

“I’ve always said that he’s got untapped ability,” Grifol said. “We’re looking at 36 homers right now. Where does he cap out at? I don’t know. He might hit 50 one year. … He’s young. For me, it’s important that he gets as many as he can this year, to drive himself to have a better year next year. Because he can do that.”