Escobar offers stability at short, but Royals have depth behind him
Over the last four seasons, 15 games have felt strange for the Royals.
For those 15 games -- out of 648 -- Alcides Escobar didn't play. Escobar has been a fixture for Kansas City at shortstop since coming over from Milwaukee in the winter of 2010, even starting all 162 games a season ago. He was the first shortstop in franchise history to play in every game and the first one in the majors since 2012.
Escobar's durability has rendered depth at shortstop nearly useless, but Kansas City still has players on the horizon who could occasionally spell Escobar or, down the line, replace him.
Here's a look at the shortstop position.
THE STARTER: Alcides Escobar
Escobar enters his fifth season with Kansas City -- and eighth overall -- in a different position than he has been in in the past, atop the Royals' lineup as the leadoff hitter. Escobar had started only nine games as a leadoff hitter prior to last season, most of his time spent stashed in the bottom third of the order.
But in mid-September, manager Ned Yost flipped his lineup upside down, moving Escobar from the No. 9 spot to the top of the order. Kansas City went 9-6 down the stretch and clinched a postseason berth. Yost kept Escobar as the table-setter throughout the playoffs and has left him there so far in spring training.
The 21-year-old shortstop is not the typical leadoff hitter, though. He's fast (114 stolen bases in the last four years), but doesn't get on base as often as a normal leadoff hitter does. His .317 on-base percentage was below the .326 figure major league leadoff batters posted. He swung at nearly 30 percent of first pitches and walked only 3.7 percent of the time. League averages were 26.8 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively.
Whether Escobar stays as the leadoff hitter for the duration of 2015 is unknown, but he'll likely be at shortstop for most, if not all, of Kansas City's games.
THE BACKUP: Christian Colon
Colon, a first-round draft pick in 2010, is a shortstop by trade, but will be used as a utility infielder for Kansas City this season. He made his major league debut last July, appearing in 21 games for the Royals. He slashed .333/.375/.489 in limited playing time (49 plate appearances).
Colon started 37 games last season at shortstop in the minor leagues but was used almost exclusively at short in 2011 and 2012 before splitting time with second base. Despite his familiarity with shortstop, Colon's path to playing time is likely through unseating starter Omar Infante at second.
WHO'S NEXT? Raul Mondesi, Ryan Jackson
Perhaps the most promising prospect in the Royals' system, Mondesi figures to be the shortstop of the future for Kansas City. The switch-hitting 19-year-old has appeared in Royals spring training the last two seasons and already has three professional seasons under his belt. Last season, he struggled in high-A Wilmington, slashing .211/.256/.354 while striking out 122 times in 435 at-bats.
Jackson, meanwhile, remains a candidate to crack the Opening Day roster as a utility infielder. The 26-year-old has appeared in 20 career major league games with St. Louis in 2012 and 2013. He missed most of last season with a wrist injury but has been on a tear this spring, going 8 for 13 (.615) with three RBIs and three stolen bases. If the Royals opt to carry four bench players (instead of eight relievers), Jackson could potentially fill that spot.
You can follow Matthew DeFranks on Twitter at @MDeFranks or email him at matthew.defranks@gmail.com.
