Batting Average: Alcides Escobar Closing in on Jeff Francoeur

by Freneau on Jul 16, 2011 11:09 PM EDT in Kansas City Royals News

Watch your back, Francoeur.

On June 6 Alcides Escobar had a .203 batting average. Our beloved Jeff Francoeur was hitting .270 that day, fresh off of an 0-5 that had dropped him from .276. First impressions can last a long time, and Francoeur spent much of April hitting over .300, while Escobar spent much of April and May near .200. June 6 was Escobar's low point however.

Following tonight's game, here are their batting averages:

Jeff Francoeur: .263
Alcides Escobar: .252

Batting average is a pretty useless stat, but we can't get away from it. At least not yet. Given that neither player walks much, there's little hidden data here, other than Francoeur's obvious power advantage. Make no mistake, Francoeur is a better hitter.

Escobar's climb from .203 to .252 is impressive however, since he had two months of ABs feeding that .203.

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it's impressive

that escobar has turned things around to the point that he’s merely bad with the bat…man i hope he gets better as a hitter, he could be a really nice player for us for the next several years

Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."

--Albert Einstein

by Home Run Tony Cogan on Jul 16, 2011 11:18 PM EDT reply actions

Is Francoeur a better hitter?

Power is important, but at least Escobar has upside and makes great contact. Plus, considering he plays SS, I think Escobar is already worth more.

by hawkinscm87 on Jul 16, 2011 11:18 PM EDT reply actions

escobar is better overall

but purely as a hitter, JF is better. Escobar has NO power

by Freneau on Jul 16, 2011 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Ehhh I'd say Eskie has a small bit of power

But it’s still developing. He has the potential to hit a decent number of doubles, and with the K for home he can turn a few of those to triples. Add in an occasional HR like tonight… And it’s within the realm of possibility that he could slug .400.

by Prime2U on Jul 17, 2011 12:41 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Agreed. Esky's hit like fourteen doubles and four triples

which is not great but which shows a little power. He’s not a slap hitter.

"First we got the bomb and that was good, 'cause we love peace and motherhood
Then Russia got the bomb but that's okay, 'cause the balance of power's maintained that way
Then France got the bomb, but don't you grieve, 'cause they're on our side (I believe)
Then China got the bomb, but have no fears, they can't wipe us out for at least five years" --Tom Lehrer

by Juancho on Jul 17, 2011 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions

i just dont see him ever slugging .400

unless he randomly hits .320 one year.

by Freneau on Jul 17, 2011 12:55 AM EDT up reply actions

His ISO right now is .085.

You think he is at his peak, in terms of power, at this very moment???

Killing time until time kills me

by EspeciallyK on Jul 17, 2011 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions

I get the idea that Alcides's hitting is going to get better

Maybe not a huge amount better, but I bet he can regularly OPS around 700. That plus his fielding, which might get a little better too, could make him an All-Star.

by Juancho on Jul 17, 2011 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions

he might not be at his peak

but do guys in his profile really ever show more power through their careers?

and even if he does get better, slugging .400 is a long way away

by Freneau on Jul 17, 2011 1:21 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm not necessarily buying him as slugging .400, at least not consistently.

..just thought it was weird you’ve got him as a .080 ISO guy tops when he’s already above that at age 24. I don’t see why hit ISO can’t improve a little bit as he hits his mid and late 20s.

This guy was a top 20 prospect (Baseball America) twice. I don’t think they rate guys that high just based on defensive range. I don’t think he’ll ever be a great hitter…but a .270/.330/.380 line from him wouldn’t shock me 2-3 years down the road. That’s more than adequate at SS, I think.

Killing time until time kills me

by EspeciallyK on Jul 17, 2011 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah I guess I should flesh my comment out a bit more

I don’t expect him to slug .400 consistently either. I’m just saying when I look at his play and his stats, I think it is possible that he could slug .400 in a good season. And for me, if he has a chance to do that, then he has a little bit of power. I do think as his bat develops we will consistently see him closer to .400 than .300, and I’ll be pretty happy with that from a great defensive SS.

by Prime2U on Jul 17, 2011 8:59 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I think he will show a little more consistency in the future.

And I think that’s what he needs to become a nice offensive shortstop. If he can hit 30 doubles and 8-10 triples, then that’s pretty good. I think he’s likely to peak at a 7-8 HR season. But for him, the biggest thing we should be worried about is the batting average. He will get his infield hits, not he just needs to make solid contact more often.

by hawkinscm87 on Jul 17, 2011 1:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Hi, my name is Frank White!

by BlueEyes_Austin on Jul 17, 2011 2:07 AM EDT up reply actions

This is my newest favorite thing

This race alone gives me inspiration to pay attention to the last 10 weeks of the season.

It's all ball bearings these days!

by CentralChamps20?? on Jul 16, 2011 11:20 PM EDT reply actions

since june 6th, escobar has been a very good player.

if he can stay on this course of a plus 700 OPS hitter with his defense, another piece of the puzzle is already a royal.

by BeauJackson on Jul 16, 2011 11:21 PM EDT reply actions

will make moving Colon to 2B an easier decision for sure

by Freneau on Jul 16, 2011 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions

hopefully the bayou boy Johnny G is holding down the 2B spot.

options can’t hurt though.

by BeauJackson on Jul 16, 2011 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions

True.

Now the real pieces of the puzzle are the starting pitchers

"Stay Classy Kansas City"

by Mas Cervezas on Jul 16, 2011 11:33 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

And Colon has a higher batting average (last I checked!) than Escobar!

Of course, it’s in a hitter’s park in a hitter’s league and it’s AA… but still!

Making watching baseball as fun as doing your taxes.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jul 17, 2011 2:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Per WAR

Escobar : 1.4 fWAR; 1.8 bWAR = 1.6 cWAR
Francoeur: 1.8 fWAR; .9 bWAR = 1.4 cWAR

Yesh. Considering two months ago Escobar was struggling mightily to be replacement level and Frenchy had topped 2 WAR… that’s really sad.

"We don’t have guys with a long history of being effective in the seventh and eighth innings."
~Trey Hillman, master of understatements.

by RoyalPug on Jul 16, 2011 11:31 PM EDT reply actions

but everyone kept saying JF was on pace for 4 WAR?!?!?!

by Freneau on Jul 16, 2011 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Perhaps they misunderstand WAR

But we know it doesn’t accumulate like RBI. You can’t take his RBI away, but you can take away his WAR. Sounds like something out of Braveheart.

by hawkinscm87 on Jul 17, 2011 1:41 AM EDT up reply actions

arbitrary endpoints=analysis

Making watching baseball as fun as doing your taxes.
My Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Jul 17, 2011 2:39 AM EDT up reply actions

I wouldn't say that the season so far is "arbitrary"

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jul 17, 2011 3:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Neither would I

I was referring to the “Considering two months ago Escobar was struggling mightily to be replacement level and Frenchy had topped 2 WAR…” thing.

On the other hand, it’s a true and offhand comment not intended as an “analysis,” so whatever.

Making watching baseball as fun as doing your taxes.
My Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Jul 17, 2011 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah, bigger fish to fry than that

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jul 18, 2011 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions

If the Royals are ever "good" Escobar almost certainly has to be on that roster and Francoeur almost certainly cannot

PARADEBULATE!

by Official Arrowhead Pride Parade on Jul 17, 2011 12:49 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs

Here here

by hawkinscm87 on Jul 17, 2011 1:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Sir, how dare you use a logical argument on a Royals forum!

by A Study in Blue on Jul 17, 2011 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions

There is no logic in a statement that says the Royals can never be good unless one speific player is on the team.

If our rotation turns out awesome next year and our lineup improves and our bullpen improves, and all three of those units are above-average, but Escobar gets hurt for the year, that means we will suck b/c he is not playing?

Escobar is looking like he can be a nice, solid player for us. Let’s not pretend he is the one key to winning.

Killing time until time kills me

by EspeciallyK on Jul 17, 2011 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions

almost (ˈɔːlməʊst)

— adv
little short of being; very nearly

If you have any other shortstop’s of his caliber, or for that matter players who are anywhere near his age and actually look, ya know, like professional baseball players out there, please send Dayton a fax.

We’re not saying you know, he’s the second coming of Eric H. Hosmer or anything, but as a barometer of the systemic success or failure, Alcides works pretty good.

PARADEBULATE!

by Official Arrowhead Pride Parade on Jul 17, 2011 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions

There are plenty of shortstops around the league that are just as good as Escobar right now.

I like him and he’s got a chance to be a pretty solid player…but again, acting like he has to (or ALMOST has to…like that changes anything…) be on the roster for the Royals to be good is silly. You are way, way, way overstating Escobar’s value.

Killing time until time kills me

by EspeciallyK on Jul 17, 2011 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions