Top Prospect
Alert
Coming into the 1999 season, I had New York
Mets centerfold prospect Alex Escobar rated as the number one overall
prospect in all of the minor leagues. But this is yet another situation in
a long line of recent top players (Paul Wilson, Izzy, Pulsipher, Payton,
Seo, Roberts, etc.) for the Mets to be derailed by an injury that forced
him to miss significant time.
A free agent signed out of Venezuela in 1995 as a 17 year old, Alex was
the most exciting player in the minors during 1998. A 6 foot 1, 185 pound
righthanded hitter led the Capital City Bombers to the best overall record
in the minors in 1998, on their way to winning the South Atlantic League
championship. Alex ended the season with a .310 average, 90 runs scored,
23 doubles, 5 triples, 27 HR's (only 1 the previous 2 seasons combined),
91 RBI, 49 steals, 54 BB's, 133 K's, and was voted the league's best
prospect.
The 20 year old was supposed to play for St. Lucie Mets (High-A) in
1999. Instead, he only got in 11 AB's (5-11). Alex missed the first half
of the season with a stress fracture in his lower back then, after
recovering from that, he tore the labrum in his left shoulder (while on a
swing that resulted in a HR) in his 3rd game. Injuries have slowed Escobar
all throughout his professional career. Even in 1998, he only played in
112 games, making his stats even more impressive. He is not playing winter
ball, instead he is currently working on conditioning over the off season.
He only had 184 professional AB's at Rookie-Level before the 1998
season because of a series of injuries. In the time he has been healthy,
Alex is above average in every category and the only players you could
compare him to in talent is Montreal's Vladimir Guerrero as well as the
Braves' Andruw Jones. Escobar has the bat of Guerreo and is a natural
centerfielder who surehanded and has the speed to track balls down in the
gap like Jones. Although, I will not say he will be an equal to Andruw in
the field as I don't feel anyone compares to Jones' natural instincts that
he shows in CF.
If Alex can stay healthy, you are looking at a 30/30 player who would
be a true star for years. He will probably start at St. Lucie in 2000 and
if everything goes well, he could be in Binghamton by the end of the
season.
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