Alcides Escobar is falling out of favor in many leagues but he still has some solid fantasy value.
Analysis: Even though Alcides Escobar hit .254 last year, he did so with a very low BABIP of .285. This year his average is up to .288 where it should be and he still gets no love. Escobar stole twenty-six bases last year and is on pace for nearly thirty this year. He may not be a flashy offensive player but he puts up solid numbers for a shortstop.
Alcides Escobar is available in about half of fantasy leagues across the country and that number should maintain until fantasy owners catch on that his batting average is for real. He may not have hit for a high average the past two seasons in the bigs but he is a solid contact hitter. When his BABIP is respectable like it was in 2009 and his minor league career, he will hit for an average in the .280 range. He is currently the fifteenth ranked shortstop on ESPN’s player rater, ahead of guys like Jimmy Rollins, Alexei Ramirez and Jhonny Peralta. You could do a lot worse than Escobar who offers speed, a solid batting average and some RBI potential hitting deep in an underrated Royals batting order.