Player Data: Age: 33 (1/5/1989), B/T: R/R
Primary Stats: 136 G, 542 PA, .240/.295/.430, 20 HR, 69 RBI,
Advanced Stats: 106 wRC+, .281 BABIP, .314 xwOBA, 2.3 fWAR, 1.2 bWAR, 23.8% K%, 7.4% BB%
2022 Salary: $10,000,000
Grade: C+
2022 Review
Eduardo Escobar hit for the cycle on June 6 in an epic, late-night 11-5 victory over the Padres. His triple in the seventh inning to earn the cycle was a no-doubter and was a high point of the young season.
Just 16 days later, Escobar was in a funk so bad that he vowed to “give [the fans] reasons to cheer for me” following a stretch of 3-for-29 at the plate with 12 strikeouts. This summer struggle continued and led to the Mets playing Luis Guillorme at third base more often as Escobar worked through his troubles, and for a short time, it looked like Guillorme might be the better option at third.
Escobar never hit above .220 in any month between May and August, but just as the rest of the Mets’ bats started to cool off heading into September, Escobar woke up.
In his last 30 games of the season, Escobar hit eight homers and slashed .321/.385/.596, and he made good on that promise from June 22, giving Met fans something to cheer for in a big way down the stretch. In a pivotal game against the Marlins on September 28, Eduardo accounted for all five of the Mets runs, including a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Escobar was so good at the end of the regular season that he earned the NL’s Player of the Month honor in September, the first of his career. Escobar then went 3-for-9 with a double and home run in the Mets’ Wild Card loss to the Padres.
While there were certainly high points, and his most recent play was stellar, it’s no secret that Escobar’s first season as the third baseman in Queens was a roller coaster ride.
Unfortunately, the Mets thought Escobar was going to provide more value as a defensive player at third base, but that didn’t happen. Both defensive metrics, outs above average and defensive runs saved had Escobar as subpar with -7 and -11 values respectively. Lack of range was certainly an issue with the veteran infielder that will play the 2023 season at 34 years old.
An oblique injury sidelined Escobar for two weeks in August, which allowed Brett Baty to get his first taste of major league action. This time off also seemed to pave the way for Escobar’s big September. Eduardo was away from the lineup from August 15 to the 27 and made a rehab start in Brooklyn, where he played shortstop; a position he has started 282 games at in his MLB career. Maybe this reset was just what Escobar needed to come back and dominate down the stretch.
In attempting to review Escobar’s entire season, it’s hard to give a clear-cut grade because the lasting impression was so good but the play leading up to it was subpar. If you took the first five months of the season alone, Escobar would have a very poor grade despite becoming just the 11th Met to hit for the cycle. However, Escobar was a solid A down the stretch when the games mattered most.
Since this is the case we’re settling on a C+ for Escobar’s 2022. It’s hard to give the reigning NL Player of the Month anything less despite his summer struggles.
2023 Outlook
Like so many before him, Escobar didn’t find immediate success in New York, but he was able to bounce back in the second half playing an important role in the Mets late season push. Met fans are hopeful that what we saw in September was a sign that Eduardo has found his comfort zone in Queens and will be a big part of the team’s World Series aspirations in 2023.
With big-time prospect Brett Baty taking his first licks in the majors already and pressure continuing to mount for Mets postseason success, we’ll see what Eduardo’s lasting impression as a Met will be next season, for better or worse.
