Alcides Escobar, Shortstop


Date of Birth: 12/16/1986
Birthplace: La Sabana, Venezuela

Alcides Escobar, shortstop, was first signed by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2003. He played in the minor leagues for the Brewers from 2004 through most of 2009, playing in just 9 games with the Brewers in 2008 and 38 games in 2009. He ended his minor league career with a .293 batting average.

In 2010, Escobar became the regular shortstop for the Brewers. That season, he batted .235 with 119 hits, 14 doubles, and 10 triples in 145 games. The Brewers traded him to the Royals in December, 2010.

Escobar batted .254 in 158 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2011. The following March, they gave him a four-year, $10 million contract extension.

Escobar's best season was 2012 when he batted .293 with career highs in hits with 177 and stolen bases with 35. In 2013, he batted just .234 with 142 hits, 20 doubles, 52 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases in 158 games.

Escobar finished the 2014 season with 165 hits, 34 doubles, 50 RBIs, 31 stolen bases, and a .285 batting average in 162 games. In the postseason, he batted .292 with 19 hits, 5 doubles, 1 home run, and 5 RBIs in 65 at-bats in 15 games.

In 2015, Escobar batted .257 with 157 hits, 20 doubles, 17 stolen bases, and 47 RBIs in 148 games. As the Royals' shortstop in 148 games, he made 417 assists, 80 double plays, 217 putouts, and 13 errors. He won his first Gold Glove for his fielding at shortstop.

Escobar had a strong 2015 postseason, winning the American League Championship Series MVP award for batting .478 in the series. In the first game of the World Series, he hit an inside-the-park home run on Matt Harvey's first pitch. It was the first time since 1929 that a player hit an inside-the-park home run in a World Series game. He finished the postseason with a .329 batting average, 23 hits, including 4 doubles and a home run, and 9 RBIs in 70 at-bats in 16 games.

On November 5, 2015, the Royals exercised their club option for Escobar for 2016. He finished the 2016 season with a .261 batting average, 166 hits, 24 doubles, 17 stolen bases, and a career high 55 RBIs in 162 games. Defensively, as the Royals' shortstop, he made 426 assists, 95 double plays, 221 putouts, and 14 errors in 162 games.

The Royals picked up Escobar's club option for 2017 on November 3, 2016. He finished the 2017 season with 150 hits, a career high 36 doubles, 54 RBIs, 102 strikeouts to 15 walks, and a .250 batting average in 162 games. Defensively, as the Royals' shortstop in 162 games, he made 468 assists, 97 double plays, 202 putouts, and 15 errors. He had a .978 fielding percentage.

Escobar finished the 2018 season with 112 hits, 22 doubles, 34 RBIs, 74 strikeouts to 29 walks, and a .231 batting average in 140 games. Defensively, as a shortstop in 104 games, he made 243 assists, 49 double plays, 129 putouts, and 9 errors.

Escobar became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles on February 16, 2019. The Orioles released him on March 20, 2019, and two days later, he signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. He played in the minor leagues until the White Sox released him on August 2nd.

Escobar played in Japan in 2020.

Escobar signed a minor league contract with the Royals on May 4, 2021. He was traded to the Washington Nationals on July 3rd. He played in the majors only with the Nationals in 2021. He finished the season with 92 hits, 21 doubles, 28 RBIs, 56 strikeouts to 17 walks, and a .288 batting average in 75 games. Defensively, he was a shortstop in 61 games.

The Nationals released Escobar on August 3, 2022. He signed with a Mexican League team on March 30, 2023.

Career batting statistics for Escobar through 2021 include:

  • 1,512 games played
  • 1,459 hits
  • 245 doubles
  • 177 stolen bases
  • 470 RBIs
  • 832 strikeouts to 248 walks
  • .259 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Escobar at shortstop through 2021 include:

  • 1,447 games played
  • 3,829 assists
  • 810 double plays
  • 2,047 putouts
  • 147 errors
  • .976 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Alcides Escobar
ESPN - Alcides Escobar