If you pay even modest attention to the Royals, you have noticed that Alcides Escobar has been beyond hot at the plate lately. During the month of June Escobar has put up a line of .369/.397/.523 that has seen his season averages raise to .255/.289/.322. He also has seven extra base hits in June, matching the total he had during the first two months of the season.
The difference seems to be Escobar is hot, no doubt about it. He has shown patience at the plate, as his strike out rate for the month has been 7.7% down from 14% in May. He simply has gone from a below average batter to being well above over the last three weeks.
While he certainly won't keep up the pace for the remainder of the season, you have to give some credit to Royals hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. Escobar has now been a member of the Royals for seven months now and it likely took him some time to adjust to the organization.
In turn, Escobar has given credit to Seitzer for his recent streak at the plate (Kansas City Star)-
"I’m feeling real comfortable right now," he said. "I’ve been working with (hitting coach Kevin) Seitzer, and it’s really paying off."
His defense and particularly his arm have already proven to be a great defensive asset for the Royals, and if he can boost his average to roughly .270 or greater for the season, you certainly have to put him in the upper portion of shortstops in baseball. At just 24 years old age, it may finally be time that the former Top 20 prospect is feeling as comfortable with his bat at the major league level as he has for quite a while with his glove.