Minnesota Twins: Shortstop Eduardo Escobar’s Charm and Production

Jun 14, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar (5) celebrates with center fielder Byron Buxton (25) after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 14, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar (5) celebrates with center fielder Byron Buxton (25) after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Eduardo Escobar’s play of late has people talking as the Minnesota Twins continue to surprise and stay atop the American League Central.

Ask any one of his teammates and they’ll tell you Eduardo Escobar is an absolute joy to have around the team. Aside from finding his niche within the Minnesota Twins clubhouse, Escobar is tearing the cover off the baseball lately. It’s been a remarkable past month for Escobar to say the least.

The festivities all started in Anaheim when he casually milked a cow on the infield grass. As a man of many talents, I’m sure not many could have predicted Escobar’s prowess as an agriculturalist.

On top of that, he completed a lifelong dream finally becoming a U.S. citizen after years of trying. His new standing as a green-card recipient adds to what’s already been a great month for Escobar. It’s foolish mentioning his name without pointing out his incredible hitting numbers lately.

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Success as a low ball hitter

In Wednesday night’s game, Escobar went 5-6, just missing out on a perfect night at the plate. At one point, he had hit safely in 16 of his last 28 at-bats. A guy that hot has no time to waste rotating off the bench as a utility player.

Escobar has found himself in the lineup more frequently and playing third base when Sano DH’s for a game. The scouting report on Eduardo is odd because he likes to drive low pitches, which is often an unhittable pitch.

In fact, he’s been hitting those exact pitches out of the ballpark. Typically, pitchers don’t last long if they leave pitches up in the zone. Escobar is a notorious bad ball hitter on low pitches with his uppercut swing. Playoff teams seem have that one guy who can fill in at most positions off the bench and give a spark to the club (See: Ben Zobrist).

Next: Twins Offense Explodes For 20 Runs

It’s refreshing having a stable veteran contribute at this level, while making us fans laugh with him in the process. Great teammates go a long way during a grueling 162 game season. Eduardo Escobar has been a pleasant surprise and will continue to play an important role for the Twins in their pursuit of a Central Division title.

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