Expectations For Escobar In 2023

Eduardo Escobar was largely a disappointment for the New York Mets in 2022. Aside from a red-hot September, he failed to produce on a consistent basis.

With that in mind, what are realistic expectations for the veteran in 2023?

It proved to be a strange winter for Escobar. Heading into the offseason on a high after a strong finish to 2022, the 34-year-old was brought back down to earth after being mentioned in trade talks. Those discussions followed the Mets’ pursuit of star Carlos Correa and their intention to play him at third base.

“I saw the reports, and I felt a little sad,” Escobar told The New York Post. “But I trust the decision making from the front office. And I understand the business of baseball. I love this team. I love everyone here.”

With Correa ultimately heading back to the Minnesota Twins following a prolonged and insane saga, normal service is resumed and Escobar will be the starting third baseman for the Mets heading into the 2023 season. Brett Baty could also get some reps at the hot corner, but how he does throughout spring training will determine just how big a role he will play right out of the gate.

Back to Escobar, though. The switch-hitter was one of the beneficiaries of owner Steve Cohen’s lavish spending spree last winter, and big things were expected out of Escobar given that he made the All-Star game in 2021. However, he largely struggled from the off and he got progressively worse as the summer months arrived.

He entered the All-Star break hitting just .224/.279/.397/.676 with 11 homers, 40 RBI and 89 strikeouts. Even coming out of the break, Escobar continued to struggle as he slashed .177/.222/.235/.458 with no home runs and just two RBI in the month of August. It is important to note that the veteran did miss time that month after going on the IL with a left oblique strain.

Also, according to The Post, Escobar went through a personal situation throughout 2022 which certainly could have played a role in his overall struggles and impacted his performances on the field.

“Last year was really, really hard,” Escobar told The Post. “A lot of people here supported me. Buck (Showalter) and Joey (Cora, third-base coach). The front office. Everybody.”

Bounce-back On The Way?

With those issues now behind him, there’s reasons to be optimistic that Escobar will be a consistent performer for the Mets in 2023 and that he won’t disappear for large chunks of the year. After all, his electric September proved exactly what he’s capable of when he’s on.

He went on an absolute tear in September and put the team on his back at times during critical moments down the stretch. He hit a combined .321/385/.596/.982 with eight home runs, four doubles, 25 RBI and 12 walks in 122 plate appearances in September / October.

Despite a rough start to 2022, Escobar still finished with a 106 OPS+ – a tick above his career norm – and he ended 2022 with 20 home runs and a .726 OPS. Now with all his troubles seemingly behind him, the immediate future looks bright for Escobar.

According to Baseball Reference’s 2023 projections, Escobar is slated to post similar numbers in 2023 to the ones he put up in 2022. He’s projected to hit .239/.296/.421 with a .717 OPS to go along with 19 homers, 66 RBI, 23 doubles, four triples, 39 walks and 117 strikeouts.

They are just projections though. Unless Baty absolutely dominates in spring training, Escobar will be the main guy at the hot corner for the Mets in 2023. Now settled and happy and not trying to do too much at the plate, it figures that there will be no early season struggles.

If Escobar can translate even half of his dominant September over a full season, then he’s going to put up much better and bigger numbers for the Mets this year. He wasn’t trying to force the issue as much during his red-hot tear and, if he can begin 2023 with that same relaxed approach, then good things should come early.

Plus, given that he will play for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Escobar will have an opportunity to hit his stride before the 2023 regular season begins. In other words, with his personal issues settled and his confidence restored, expect a big bounce-back from the 34-year-old.

It may not be realistic to expect him to put up monster numbers all year round, but Escobar is certainly capable of mashing and being a consistent hitter. If he can just provide steady offense, good defense at the hot corner and avoid cold spells for more than half the season, then that will be good enough for the Mets who will certainly need a lot more from their third baseman in 2023.