Phillies’ Aroon Escobar Shows Newfound Power In Low-A
Aroon Escobar opened the season on fire at Low-A Clearwater.
The 20-year-old second baseman batted .360/.461/.627 with five home runs in 19 April games.
“His talent, his ability is starting to come out a little bit more,” Phillies farm director Luke Murton said. “I think it’s something we’ve all seen glimpses of, and now he’s just showing it more consistently.
“And I don’t think it’s a blip on the map. I think it’s more here to stay.”
The Phillies signed Escobar out of Venezuela in 2022. He also happens to be a member of a high-profile baseball family: Escobar is cousins with Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. and Mets rookie Luisangel Acuña.
After being limited to just 24 games in 2024 in Rookie ball due to shin splints, Escobar spent the offseason at the Phillies’ facilities in Clearwater, Fla.
He participated in two of their high performance camps and placed an emphasis on strength and conditioning, which was paying dividends early in the season.
One of Escobar’s strengths is his plate discipline. Last year in the Florida Complex League he drew 21 walks to 10 strikeouts. This year, he is working on getting behind the ball with his swing, which has helped the righthanded hitter unlock power.
“He’s a naturally good hitter with naturally good timing, who sees the baseball very well,” Murton said. “He’s been a very good hitter his entire life who’s just gotten bigger, stronger, and learned how to get behind the ball.”
The next step for him will be maintaining that consistency at the plate over a full season. Since signing with the Phillies, Escobar hasn’t played more than 48 games in a season in his two years in the Dominican Summer League and one in the Florida Complex League.
“I’m really just excited to see him. He’s coming in great shape. He’s got off to a great start,” Murton said. “There’s a lot of baseball left to be played, and I do think he’s gonna go out there and keep playing well.”
