Overreacting to these 3 spring training Mets performances

2) NY Mets spring training overreaction: Eduardo Escobar is about to have a bad season

Sandwiched between his WBC performance that wasn’t all that productive either, Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar struggled mightily this spring. In 39 trips to the plate he slashed .118/.205/.147. For a guy whose job was already on the line, it wasn’t the most promising of beginnings to a new year.

Escobar was lapped by Brett Baty this spring. Because the Mets front office tends to behave timidly and hold back its prospects, there was never any real chance for Baty to win the starting third base gig. It’s going to be Escobar at the hot corner to begin the year—bad spring or not.

A reasonable reaction could be the expectation of Escobar starting off slowly again this season. It’s not a very positive expectation. His presence on the roster might not be in much jeopardy. The starting lineup is a completely different story.

Escobar is one member of the Mets who could quickly become the roster’s “new Darin Ruf.” His strong finish last season won over a couple of fans. Unfortunately, he dragged his feet for most of the season.

Not much of what Escobar did will matter when games begin to count. He’s a bit of a wild card. I could see everything from a big start to a massive slump. As reactive as it is, something about his miserable spring has me thinking it’ll be slow.