For a utility player, Eduardo Escobar sure gets a lot of the marketing attention from the Twins organization. He does a lot of community outreach and appears in almost every commercial for every giveaway. He’s gregarious and good natured and extremely popular in the clubhouse. In his first full seasons in Minnesota, he was a revelation, batting in the .270 range, with his HR total jumping from 6 to double digits, all while filling a spot at short, a position the Twins had struggled filling for years.
Last year, along with the rest of the Twins, he took a step back. Meanwhile, Jorge Polanco emerged as the regular shortstop while Escobar faltered, and he settled back into the same back-up role he had arrived in. Despite not being on the field, he was still expected to be a team leader, thanks to his presence in the clubhouse, or really any room he walks into.
This past week, the most popular player on the team is also the hottest. In the month of June, Escobar is batting .563 with 3 home runs and 8 RBI. He has 10 more hits in 5 fewer plate appearances than he did in April, and turns around his season after a sluggish May. This streak isn’t sustainable, but it is fun, ultimately because Escobar himself is so fun. One of the things that elevates the spirits off a team is when the glue guys are excelling. The team has had a few rough game of late, but they haven’t been stringing them together. Part of that is an attitude adjustment compared to last year, and some of that improved attitude must be be good mood that Eduardo Escobar has been putting everyone in.
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