I don't speak Spanish, but if you look up "Pica" in urbandictionary.com, you'll understand why he's been the Mets clubhouse leader this year.

Also, in 2018, he signed an autograph through-the-mail for me in 114 days care of the Twins.

El de la Pica has shown versatility by shifting to second base to accommodate Brett Baty. Also, I recently saw a highlight that showed Escobar with his arm around Baty's shoulder in the dugout and both of them smiling. It showed me that he's not a "me first" type of guy who sulks and holds a grudge against the rookie who took his job.

Because of this (and the fact that he helped coordinate Buck's birthday last year) he seems like a genuinely good guy. With his positive attitude, versatility in the field, and improved bat, Escobar can be a huge key to the Mets success this year, sparking the team in the same way that Juan Uribe did in 2015.

Although Escobar is 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and 2 outs this year, in three at bats as a pinch hitter this year, he is 3 for 3 with 2 HR and 3 RBI.

In the past 28 days, the Fogo de Chão man has gotten into 10 games (7 starts) and has 2 HR, 3 RBI, a .381 BA and 1.197 OPS.

In the past seven days, he's started four games and has a homer and two RBI, compiling a .462 BA and a 1.192 OPS in that span.

Things are on the way up for El and the Mets.

But it was time to go. No team—especially the Mets—can afford to have guys who are good just 1 to 1.5 months out of the year, and that's just what Escobar was with New York.

In 2022, he hit .214/.266/.380 with 12 home runs and 44 from April 7 to August 28 (379 ABs). Then from August 30 to October 4 (116 ABs), he hit .328/.388/.595 with 8 homers and 25 RBI. It was the same in 2023. From March 30 to May 6 (63 ABs), he hit .159/.206/.365; from May 12 to June 25 (55 ABs), he hit .364/.417/.509.

When he was on, he was on. But that brilliance was too fleeting to be particularly helpful ... and the Mets need all the help they can get.