Eduardo Escobar featured on MILB.com

[macsandz]

If this kid continues to hit he's a top prospect. He's already got one of the best SS gloves in the minor leagues:

 

.375/.412/.625/1.037 so far in ARZ.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...lb&c_id=mlb

 

(Courtesy of South Side Sox)

Eduardo Escobar, SS. 2010 MiLB line: Winston-Salem/Birmingham: .277/.316./.393. Escobar is a 21 year old switch-hitting shortstop out of Venezuela. His glove is fantastic - some argue close to the best at his position in the minors - and it's almost totally based on that skill that he ranks this high. His bat continues to be a work in progress, but progress was indeed made in 2010. His slight frame shows little projection in the way of power but what little is there he began to develop by increasing his doubles, resulting in a robust .116 ISO for the year. There are still concerns about his strikeouts - guys who don't hit for power should strive to at least make the defense work for outs - but he managed to keep them below the 20% he put up at Kannapolis in 2009 while playing at two higher levels. He's got a high floor - his glove will probably carry him to the majors, at least in a utility role - and a bit more progress with the bat and he could be a glove-first starter. ETA: Late 2012. He'll go back to Birmingham and, depending upon his offensive progress, may see Charlotte later in the season.

Edited October 19, 2010 by bucket-of-suck

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I really like that he is a switch hitter too. When was the last time the Sox had a decent switch hitter that wasn't 40+ years old? (Swisher sucked).

 

Too bad he plays SS though. We are pretty well set/deep at 2B, SS, and 3B.

Edited October 18, 2010 by JoeCoolMan24

[ScottyDo]

Impossible! Our minor league system is worse than my little league squad!

 

/snark

 

Seriously, though, I love seeing us have legit IF prospects. So valuable.

Edited October 18, 2010 by ScottyDo

[Jordan4life_2007]

Only in our pathetic system would this guy be a blip on the radar screen. He's basically a Latino Juan Pierre.

[ScottyDo]

Only in our pathetic system would this guy be a blip on the radar screen. He's basically a Latino Juan Pierre.

I think he has one more homer in AFL play than Juan Pierre ever would, though.

 

Also, a young shortstop drawing comparisons to Juan Pierre would be more than a blip on the radar in a lot of places.

[Jordan4life_2007]

I think he has one more homer in AFL play than Juan Pierre ever would, though.

 

Also, a young shortstop drawing comparisons to Juan Pierre would be more than a blip on the radar in a lot of places.

Two words: Brian Anderson

 

I want nothing to do with all glove, no bat players.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I want nothing to do with young players.

 

Fixed your post.

[macsandz]

I really like that he is a switch hitter too. When was the last time the Sox had a decent switch hitter that wasn't 40+ years old? (Swisher sucked).

 

Too bad he plays SS though. We are pretty well set/deep at 2B, SS, and 3B.

 

The kid is making a name for himself and getting big exposure. Should be fun to watch in ST. You know Ozzie will love him.

[earthshiner]

a Venezuelan SS with a great glove. seems destined to be a star here

[Pants Rowland]

Are you sure they don't mean Eduardo Sanchez?

[JPN366]

He's not all glove, no bat. I was impressed with his hitting.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Only in our pathetic system would this guy be a blip on the radar screen. He's basically a Latino Juan Pierre.

This post is just full of ridiculous. His glove is highly regarded across the minors as a whole, which at SS is a prize by itself. He improved with the bat last year, and is still pretty young. He's a real prospect in any system.

 

Latino Juan Pierre, LOL, wut?

 

[Jerksticks]

Didn't you hear the news? The farm sucks and can't produce players who contribute. If we were more like the Rays then maybe. But since we aren't the Rays, even our good prospects aren't really prospects, just the top of the fodder pile.

[NorthSideSox72]

Didn't you hear the news? The farm sucks and can't produce players who contribute. If we were more like the Rays then maybe. But since we aren't the Rays, even our good prospects aren't really prospects, just the top of the fodder pile.

The system is pretty bad overall, but some people take that to an extreme. Every system, including the Sox system, has some solid prospects in it. I was originally not at all a buyer on Escobar (just ask some of the heavy FS contributors), but as time has gone on, I've realized he's better than I thought. He's worth watching.

 

[bigruss]

Hopefully he does pan out, but it's pretty hard to get excited about a guy who had a breakout year with a .315 OBP in single A, with not much power and who strikes out alot.

 

Prospect? Yes. Potential? Sure, mostly because of his defense. Rate of prospect? Average.

[NorthSideSox72]

Hopefully he does pan out, but it's pretty hard to get excited about a guy who had a breakout year with a .315 OBP in single A, with not much power and who strikes out alot.

 

Prospect? Yes. Potential? Sure, mostly because of his defense. Rate of prospect? Average.

No, he put up a .316 OBP combined in A+ and AA (it was .327 in A+), as a 21 year old, with a decent slugging number for a non-HR hitter thanks to solid 2B and 3B numbers. As, again, a shortstop with plus defense, and apparently some decent speed.

 

Its just his bat control that worries me with the K's, but he's still young, and those numbers have improved (along with most of his numbers) in recent years.

 

[bigruss]

No, he put up a .316 OBP combined in A+ and AA (it was .327 in A+), as a 21 year old, with a decent slugging number for a non-HR hitter thanks to solid 2B and 3B numbers. As, again, a shortstop with plus defense, and apparently some decent speed.

 

Its just his bat control that worries me with the K's, but he's still young, and those numbers have improved (along with most of his numbers) in recent years.

He'll have to improve that OBP still with those numbers to be worth a damn as a hitter.

 

Honestly, some people on here get so damn defensive about mediocre prospects. Does this guy have a chance to be a good prospect? Yup he does. But right now he's a 21 year old who struggles getting on base, strikes out a ton, and doesn't have HR power, but has a great glove. That screams future bench player if he can even hit enough to make the majors. Is he a guy to watch? Yes, but just because somebody points out a flaw doesn't mean they don't think he's a prospect.

[NorthSideSox72]

He'll have to improve that OBP still with those numbers to be worth a damn as a hitter.

 

Honestly, some people on here get so damn defensive about mediocre prospects. Does this guy have a chance to be a good prospect? Yup he does. But right now he's a 21 year old who struggles getting on base, strikes out a ton, and doesn't have HR power, but has a great glove. That screams future bench player if he can even hit enough to make the majors. Is he a guy to watch? Yes, but just because somebody points out a flaw doesn't mean they don't think he's a prospect.

Yes they do. And there are also some people who like to make everything out to the extremes, which is what I was responding to. Clearly, this guy is not a blue chip prospect. Also clearly, he's not a lowly blip that would not even be that in another system.

 

People want to categorize prospects as either blue chip can't-miss (which doesn't exist), or nothing. Except most prospects are in between. Its all about percentages - percent likelihood he's a major leaguer, present likelihood he's a major league starter, percent likelihood he's an all star. He's young enough that you can't bring down his ceiling a lot yet, but his floor looks to me like a utility guy, with a notable chance he becomes a starter. That's a guy worth watching in any system, IMO, especially for a shortstop.

 

[bigruss]

Yes they do. And there are also some people who like to make everything out to the extremes, which is what I was responding to. Clearly, this guy is not a blue chip prospect. Also clearly, he's not a lowly blip that would not even be that in another system.

 

People want to categorize prospects as either blue chip can't-miss (which doesn't exist), or nothing. Except most prospects are in between. Its all about percentages - percent likelihood he's a major leaguer, present likelihood he's a major league starter, percent likelihood he's an all star. He's young enough that you can't bring down his ceiling a lot yet, but his floor looks to me like a utility guy, with a notable chance he becomes a starter. That's a guy worth watching in any system, IMO, especially for a shortstop.

Yea, but you replied to my post, which stated that he was a decent prospect, and I said he was worth watching. Arguing an extreme with another extreme really isn't the answer.

[macsandz]

But right now he's a 21 year old who struggles getting on base, strikes out a ton, and doesn't have HR power, but has a great glove.

 

Right now he's a kid who just homered and went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored against among the best AA competition out there.

[bigruss]

Right now he's a kid who just homered and went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored against among the best AA competition out there.

The AFL has always been a hitters league. Very few legitimate top ptichers will be sent there. Once in awhile you'll have a Strausburg getting some work in, but for the most part teams shut their pitchers down.

[NorthSideSox72]

Yea, but you replied to my post, which stated that he was a decent prospect, and I said he was worth watching. Arguing an extreme with another extreme really isn't the answer.

That was my point, that's why I posted what I did in response to one extreme, by stating that's he's worth watching. This is why I didn't go to an extreme.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Right now he's a kid who just homered and went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored against among the best AA competition out there.

Careful with that sample size.

 

If he finishes AFL competition and still has solid numbers, that will be something to cheer about.

 

[Jerksticks]

Careful with that sample size.

 

If he finishes AFL competition and still has solid numbers, that will be something to cheer about.

 

So the question becomes..should we sell high on the kid this offseason? Kinda like DLS? A lot of you seem to think he is playing above his capabilities right now.

[gatnom]

Right now he's a kid who just homered and went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored against among the best AA competition out there.

 

C.J. Retherford says hi.