Yunel Escobar

2013

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2012

Escobar fought through several nagging injuries to his legs and hands throughout the season before landing on the DL for good in September with an elbow injury, but bounced back from a disappointing 2010 campaign and established himself as one of the better shortstops in the AL by hitting .290 with 11 homers, 48 RBI and 77 runs scored. The litany of nagging injuries isn't a very good sign for a player of his age and those aren't likely to go away as he continues to play shortstop, but he'll be back as the team's everyday shortstop and should reward his owners with another solid season.

2011

Escobar played better after a midseason trade from the Braves but it was still a disappointing 2010 as he hit just .256 with four homers overall. He's still got the potential for above average power from the shortstop position while helping your batting average as well but will need to reverse the trends of last season. Look for a bounceback out of the everyday shortstop for the Jays.

2010

Escobar is entrenched as Atlanta's starting shortstop and can help fantasy teams with moderate power (a career-high 14 home runs in 2009) and a strong eye at the plate that should make his batting average an asset. After posting one of the top range factors in 2008, he took a step back with the glove and had a few lapses that caused manager Bobby Cox to bench him. As long as his fielding doesn't become an issue, he looks like one of the more consistent options at shortstop in the NL.

2009

Escobar's first full season as the starting shortstop for the Braves was a success as he showed great range in the field (second best range factor of all regular shortstops in baseball) and moderate power (10 home runs). He's always had a good eye at the plate (almost as many walks as strikeouts), so he's a good bet to help fantasy owners at least in the batting average department.

2008

Escobar will take over as the everyday shortstop for Atlanta after a breakout season that resulted in the Braves trading away Edgar Renteria this offseason. Escobar's glove was strong enough to land him a utility role at the start of last season, but he caught fire at the plate and forced his way into a platoon role at second base for much of the year. He draws enough walks to think he won't see much of a drop-off from his .328 batting average. However, he doesn't hit for much power or steal many bases, which will limit his fantasy value.

2007

Escobar hit .264/.361/.346 at Double-A with strong defense. While he had little power, he showed a strong eye at the plate. With Edgar Renteria locked up through 2008 and an even better prospect at shortstop in Elvis Andrus looming in the lower minors, Escobar may be in the right spot to be moved this winter. If not, he should move to Triple-A and could be called up to the majors at some point.

2006

Escobar's star is quickly rising in the Atlanta farm system after he posted a .313/.358/.470 season at High-A Rome with a good glove after defecting from Cuba the previous fall. He was a little old for the competition (age 23), so we'll need to see how he does at Double-A before getting too excited. Still, he's a minor leaguer to grab in deeper keeper leagues.