GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If Luis Robert had his druthers, his final 2018 statistics would have been slightly better than a .269 average, 17 RBIs, 11 doubles, 15 stolen bases, a .694 OPS and no home runs across Minor League stops with the White Sox Arizona Rookie-level squad, Class A Kannapolis and Class A Advanced Winston-Salem.
The 21-year-old would have simply liked to have had a healthy season, but a pair of ligament strains in his left thumb limited him to 50 games and 186 at-bats. But in his first year of professional baseball in the United States, adjusting to everyday life became every bit as important for the Cuba native, MLB Pipeline's No. 44 prospect overall and No. 4 in the White Sox system, as adjusting to Minor League pitching.
"Talking about off the field stuff, I don't think it was a bad season for me," said Robert, through interpreter Anthony Santiago, speaking outside the White Sox clubhouse during mini-camp action at Camelback Ranch. "I learned a lot. I've adapted to a lot of things on and off the field.
"Obviously numbers-wise, it wasn't as good, and it didn't go the way I wanted because of the injuries. But overall it was a good season for me."
In-season off-field adjustments for Robert may seem second nature to most players. They included having to play the same day as or the day after long bus trips, as well as adjusting to different food and a new culture.
From the baseball side, Robert will pick up important extra at-bats as part of the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League beginning Tuesday. His raw skills should impress those fans who haven't seen the center fielder previously.
"Obviously his skill set is through the roof," said White Sox Minor League outfield/baserunning coordinator Aaron Rowand. "He just moves at a different pace.
"Whether it be fielding a ground ball or running down balls, he has the ability to move very quickly but under control. His feet are always underneath him. That's something you can't teach. When he fields a ground ball to throw somebody out, he's not out of control but he's moving at a faster pace than most.
"That's just talent. That's God [saying], 'Here ya go.' He has a cannon for an arm. He works as hard or harder than anyone out here. His footwork is really good. His instincts are very good on the bases. He's really good at reading balls in the dirt. For a young guy he's a very, very polished player and is going to do nothing but get better with experience."
Robert's power numbers were hampered by soreness in his wrist while compensating for the thumb issues, making it tough to extend on his swing and making him roll over a few too many pitches. But he's without pain now and figures the full game quickly will come back.
Those around Robert seem to think it's a matter of when, not if, he starts to tap into that seemingly limitless talent potential.
"He was still able to get some at-bats, but we want to continue what we've been working on here in the Fall League," White Sox director of player development Chris Getz said. "Then we can start more of an evaluation and get bet a better idea of what he will bring to the team in '19 and beyond."
"Definitely the things I did well I think were running the bases and my defense," Robert said. "But I learned a lot of stuff that ... will help me in the future."