Eduardo José Escobar (born January 5, 1989) is a Venezuelan professional baseball third baseman for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers.
Eduardo Escobar | |
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![]() Escobar with the New York Mets in 2022 | |
New York Mets – No. 10 | |
Third baseman | |
Born: (1989-01-05) January 5, 1989 (age 33) Villa de Cura, Venezuela | |
Bats: Switch Throws: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 2, 2011, for the Chicago White Sox | |
MLB statistics (through 2022 season) | |
Batting average | .254 |
Hits | 1,120 |
Home runs | 158 |
Runs batted in | 605 |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Escobar grew up in the neighborhood of La Pica in Villa de Cura in the Venezuelan state of Aragua with his four siblings.[1] They were raised by a single mother. Escobar began working a job at seven years old and was only able to get an education through the eighth grade.[2]
Escobar was a September call-up in 2011, playing in nine games and had two hits in seven at bats. In 2012, Escobar made the 25-man roster out of spring training as a utility infielder. In his first 97 plate appearances of 2012, Escobar had a .207 batting average with three runs batted in (RBIs).[citation needed]
On July 28, 2012, Escobar was traded to the Minnesota Twins with Pedro Hernández for Francisco Liriano.[3] In 49 more plate appearances, Escobar batted .227 with six RBIs. Overall in 2012, Escobar had 146 total plate appearances with a .214 average and nine RBIs.
On April 3, 2013, Escobar hit a walk-off 2-run double off of Phil Coke that lifted the Twins past the Detroit Tigers, 3-2, to its first win of the 2013 season.[4] On April 9, 2013, Escobar hit his first career home run in the top of the 5th inning off of Jeremy Guthrie of the Kansas City Royals. Playing 66 games in 2013, Escobar batted .236 with three home runs, and 10 RBIs.[citation needed]
In 2014, Escobar batted .275 and hit six home runs with 37 RBIs in 133 games. In 2015, Escobar played 127 games batting .262 with 12 home runs and 58 RBIs. In 2016, Escobar played 105 games batting .236 with 6 home runs and 37 RBIs.[citation needed]
On May 7, 2016, Escobar was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a left groin strain. He avoided salary arbitration with the Twins on December 3, 2016, by agreeing to a one-year, $2.6 million contract for the 2017 season.[5] In 2017, Escobar batted .254 and set career highs with 21 home runs and 73 RBIs.[citation needed]
On July 27, 2018, Escobar was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor leaguers Gabriel Maciel, Jhoan Durán, and Ernie De La Trinidad.[6] He had the highest fielding percentage among major league third basemen, at .983.[7]
On October 23, 2018, the Diamondbacks signed Escobar to a three-year contract worth a reported $21 million.[8] In the 2019 season, he hit 35 home runs and 118 RBIs, batting .269/.320/.511. He also led the majors with 10 triples. In 2020, Escobar struggled offensively throughout the shortened MLB season, hitting just .212 with four home runs and 20 RBIs. Escobar bounced back strongly in 2021, posting a .246 average with 22 home runs and 65 RBI’s in 98 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks and earning a trip to the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
On July 28, 2021, Escobar was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Cooper Hummel and Alberto Ciprian.[9] On October 2, 2021, Escobar collected his 1,000th hit.[10]
On December 1, 2021, Escobar signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the New York Mets.[11]
On June 6, 2022, Escobar hit for the cycle in an 11–5 win over the San Diego Padres, becoming the 11th player in Mets history to accomplish the feat, and the first since Scott Hairston in 2012.[12] He also became the first player to hit for the cycle at Petco Park.[12]
Escobar owns a home in Miami and resides there in the offseason with his wife and five children.[13] As of June 2021[update], his family was living with him in Arizona. He has four boys and a daughter. The oldest, his daughter, was 17 years old and the youngest was six years old.[1]
Achievements | ||
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Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle June 6, 2022 |
Succeeded by |