Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

When Eduardo Escobar got off to a miserable start this season, it became apparent he was not going to be the Mets’ long-term answer at third base. Brett Baty was tearing up Triple-A, and it was only a matter of time before he was called up and usurped the veteran for the starting job.

However, since Baty has taken over the hot corner, a funny thing has been happening with Escobar: he’s been playing a heck of a lot better.

Escobar came through again for the Mets on Tuesday night, sneaking a seventh-inning RBI single off of Connor Brogdon to give the Mets an insurance run in their eventual 2-0 win. While the hype Tuesday was justifiably around Kodai Senga‘s performance, Escobar quietly collected his second straight multi-hit game. He is now 6-15 in his last four games and is now hitting .394 in May, raising his OPS from .606 at the start of the month to .722.

Escobar has proven to be a streaky hitter in his two seasons in Queens. While he has struggled for much of the 2022 season, he came alive in September, essentially carrying the Mets’ offense through the month as they fought to hold onto their division lead.

As a starter, Escobar’s up-and-down nature can be frustrating for fans. But as a part-timer/bench piece, he is showing he can still be a tremendous asset. His ability to hit from either side of the plate and play multiple positions on the infield gives Buck Showalter the flexibility to continue to play him while he’s swinging a hot bat without necessarily sacrificing the playing time of Baty, Jeff McNeil, or even Mark Vientos.

Escobar is also one of the few power-hitting threats off the Mets’ bench. His four home runs on the season tie him with Brandon Nimmo for fourth on the team behind Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and the surging Francisco Álvarez. He is now hitting .255 with three homers this season as a left-handed hitter and is one of the only lefty options for Showalter among non-regulars, along with Daniel Vogelbach.

Escobar is likely to cool down at some point, but for now, expect him to continue to play much every day as long as he continues to hit. Whether he is getting starts at third base, second base, designated hitter, or coming off the bench as a pinch-hitter, a hot Escobar bat gives more life to the Mets’ offense and is one of the main reasons for their turnaround the past several weeks.