Eduardo Escobar Addresses Mets' Needs
Clubhouse presence, veteran leadership, intriguing offense, and versatile defense. Yup, that's gonna work..
The New York Mets filled an array of needs in the early goings of this fractured offseason.
The rotational gap left by Marcus Stroman’s departure was filled expeditiously and effectively by the team’s successful courtship of Max Scherzer. Starling Marte was added as a true centerfielder, shoring up a weak spot on defense while adding a multi-faceted dynamic to the lineup. We talked about what Mark Canha brings to the table on Sunday.
Eduardo Escobar’s inclusion in the Mets Black Friday spending spree, despite being an overwhelmingly welcome development, was still slightly surprising. The 32-year-old’s track record as a consistent offensive producer with infield versatility fits well, of course. Though, with Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis, and Luis Guillorme all still in Flushing, many wondered aloud what the angle was to Escobar’s addition.
Plausibly, the Mets could have intentions of trading any or all of the above-referenced incumbents, opening up playing time for Escobar and, in turn, everyone else on this depth-laden roster. Escobar spending time at second and third seem to be the initial course of action. Though, as noted here in the past, having many capable options at many different spots is never a bad thing.
The Venezuelan product roams the infield with varying degrees of success (per Statcast’s OAA; -3 at third, +2 at second in 2021, -2 at shortstop, 2018). That will play. Though, Escobar’s defensive skill-set is only a sliver of his allure.
Between 2018 and 2019 (traded from Minnesota to Arizona midseason 2018), Escobar, a switch-hitter, was a solid offensive contributor, hitting .270/.327/.501 with 58 home runs (23 in 2018, 35 in 2019), 77 doubles (48 in 2018!), a 19.2% strikeout rate, and 112 wRC+.
In 2020, his productivity took a sharp downturn. A .625 OPS, 11 extra-base hits, and 55 wRC+ over 222 plate appearances through the COVID-shortened campaign threw Escobar for a loop. His power output over that span was even more concerning (four homers in 2020; one per 55.5 PA compared to one every 22.9 PA in 2018-2019).
In mid-August 2020, Escobar told the Diamondbacks press corps he’d been moving his head more than he had in the past and it was affecting his swing process, causing him to commit to pitches he normally wouldn’t and his numbers reflected the misfires.
“I’ll say the mentality that a lot of players have is that it doesn’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish the season,” he said (via AZCentral.com). “But still, I’m not worried. I believe in myself. [D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo] believes in me, and that’s the most important thing.”
That quote was given on August 14. The following day, Escobar drew three walks and scored two runs in a win versus San Diego. From August 16 through the end of the month, he slashed .250/.339/.521. Compared to the .171/.227/.243 line he’d accumulated from July 24 (Opening Day) through August 14, that’s night and day.
None of us are immune to making adjustments when necessary. And the value of a strong foundation during these times can’t be understated.
Escobar would finish the season on a low note (.549 OPS in September, albeit with five doubles and a triple), capping off a noticeably sub-par campaign, but the mirage quotient of that season shouldn’t be ignored.
Heading into 2020, Escobar’s career batting average on balls in play (BABIP) was .296. In 2020, that metric dropped to an anemic .244. A barrel rate that regularly sat in the 7-to-8 percent range had suddenly freefallen to 5.5 percent. The sample size is extremely important in these situations, as is a player’s overall track record. And neither indicated Escobar was what folks in the industry refer to as done.
On cue, Escobar appeared to be shot out of a cannon to start 2021, putting together a .847 OPS with seven homers and five doubles over 109 PA in April. Nice start.
A bumpy month of May (.656 OPS, six homers, three doubles, 119 PA) was followed by an extremely encouraging stretch from June 1 through his trade to Milwaukee ahead of the trade deadline (.261/.326/.497, 9 HR, 6 2B, 2 3B, 172 PA), and off Escobar went, from the basement to a bonafide contender.
And just like that, the Eduardo Escobar that many had come to know returned. And he did so with force. Over 199 plate appearances with the Brewers, Escobar hit .268/.342/.458 (.800 OPS, .313 BABIP) with six homers and 12 doubles.
During his outlandish two-base hit exhibition of 2018-19, Escobar was hitting a double every 17.3 plate appearances. Over the final two months of 2021, he was doing so every 16.5 plate appearances.
Yes, that will do. Milwaukee didn’t achieve the success they’d hoped to last season, but Escobar couldn’t have jumped into free agency on more solid footing than he found down the stretch. And the Mets were clearly enamored.
What Escobar brings to this team on and off the field (Scherzer referenced Escobar as a key component to the Mets’ allure during his introductory presser, noting his reputation for being an outstanding teammate via Brian Dozier) is precisely what general manager Billy Eppler has made a push for this offseason: good-to-great ballplayers with pristine clubhouse presences.
“I feel like it’s gonna be a tremendous chemistry that we have in that clubhouse,” Escobar told the Mets’ media corps last week. “[A] mixture of a lot of veteran guys [and] a lot of young guys to be able to bring that energy and that experience, being able to go forward, being able to win a lot of games.”
That’s the plan. Onward.
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