The Mets cannot afford to have the same patience with Eduardo Escobar this year

The New York Mets have won three of their first five games of the season…on the road…but there are already grumblings. It didn’t help that, although the Mets took three of four from the Marlins, they got pounded 10-0 to open the series in Milwaukee before heading home. Winning record aside…patience is running thin.

The Mets won 101 games a year ago and spent just about all of last year in first place, only to squander a huge lead and be overtaken by the Atlanta Braves. Expectations did not run very high to start the season, and there were some overachievers that helped better the expectations. However, after coming off that season, expectations ARE running high…and the Mets can ill-afford to carry any underachievers if they are going to hold off the Braves and any other team that looks to get in their way.

So it is understandable if there is a short leash for everyone…well…except for Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Brandon Nimmo. They ain’t going anywhere. And certainly even Starling Marte, unless he breaks down. But the rest of the roster is not going to be given much of a grace period. Especially Eduardo Escobar.

The Mets cannot have the same level of patience with Eduardo Escobar as they did in 2023

Escobar struggled mightily for the first ¾ of the season. He rallied to hit .240 but he finished with a respectable 20 HR and 69 RBI.  And he truly did come on when the Mets needed him most down the stretch and was good enough to be named Player of the Month for the month of September. His stats, are not that bad, unless you break them down and consider that he was only good for one month of the season…at the plate anyway. He was a steady fielder at third base.

Escobar has been a notoriously late starter…but once he gets going…he produces in many ways. He is a switch-hitter with pop from both sides of the plate. He has at least some speed, and led the NL in triples in 2019, when he also hit 35 dingers for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Escobar is an established veteran, who can play multiple positions, and play them well. He has a great work ethic, he is well-liked, and well-respected, in the Mets clubhouse. But having seen what the Braves youngsters have done, fans and media are clamoring for the Mets kids. And with the likes of Brett Baty waiting in the wings, Escobar can’t help but to be looking over his shoulder, because if he doesn’t catch fire really soon, he may be the first to get a front row seat on the bench.