Luis Alberto Escobar Hernandez (born May 30, 1996) is a Colombian professional baseball pitcher for the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
| Luis Escobar | |
|---|---|
 Luis Escobar with Caimanes de Barranquilla in 2021 | |
| Acereros de Monclova – No. 78 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: May 30, 1996 Cartagena, Colombia | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 13, 2019, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics (through 2019 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 0–0 |
| Earned run average | 7.94 |
| Strikeouts | 2 |
| Teams | |
Professional career
editPittsburgh Pirates
editEscobar signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international free agent in July 2013.[1] He made his professional debut in 2014 for the DSL Pirates and spent the whole season there, posting a 2–4 record and a 4.75 ERA in 13 games started. In 2015, he played for both the GCL Pirates and the West Virginia Black Bears, pitching to a combined 2–1 record, 3.83 ERA, and a 1.13 WHIP in 13 starts, and in 2016, he returned to the Black Bears, posting a 6–5 record and 2.93 ERA in 15 games (12 starts).
Escobar was on Colombia's roster for the 2017 World Baseball Classic but did not play.[2] Escobar represented the Pirates in the 2017 All-Star Futures Game.[3] He spent the 2017 season with the West Virginia Power where he posted a 10–7 record and a 3.83 ERA with 168 strikeouts in 131.2 innings pitched (26 games, 25 starts).[4] On November 20, 2017, the Pirates added Escobar to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[5] He split the 2018 season between the Bradenton Marauders and the Altoona Curve, going a combined 11–6 with a 4.14 in 127 innings. He opened the 2019 season with Bradenton, before being promoted to the Indianapolis Indians on May 9.[6]
On July 6, 2019, the Pirates promoted Escobar to the major leagues.[7] He made his major league debut on July 13, striking out one batter over two scoreless innings in relief.[8] Escobar was designated for assignment on November 20, 2019, and outrighted to Triple–A on November 27.[9]
Escobar did not play in a game for the Pirates organization in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] He was released by Pittsburgh on June 9, 2020.
Olmecas de Tabasco
editOn April 22, 2021, Escobar signed with the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League.[11] He posted a 1.17 WHIP over 67.1 innings and led the league with the lowest ERA (2.54).
Fubon Guardians
editOn January 6, 2022, Escobar signed with the Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League.[12] On May 23, Escobar requested and was granted his release for personal reasons. He never appeared in a game for the Guardians and only pitched for their farm team prior to his release.[13]
Olmecas de Tabasco (second stint)
editOn July 5, 2022, Escobar signed with the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League.[14] He made 6 starts for Tabasco down the stretch, struggling to a 2–2 record and 7.25 ERA. In 2023, Escobar made 15 appearances (14 starts) for the team, registering a 6–6 record and 4.42 ERA with 48 strikeouts across 73+1⁄3 innings pitched.
Acereros de Monclova
editOn February 3, 2024, Escobar was traded to the Acereros de Monclova in exchange for Wirfin Obispo.[15] He was placed on the reserve list on April 15. He was activated from the reserve list on April 22. In 18 games (12 starts) 63.2 innings he went 4-3 with a 4.38 ERA and 35 strikeouts.
References
edit- ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates' Luis Escobar caps year on top for West Virginia Black Bears – MiLB.com News – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball".
- ^ Stephen Nesbitt (July 8, 2017). "Meet Luis Escobar, the Pirates' quiet pick for the MLB All-Star Futures Game". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ Adam Berry. "Escobar to show power stuff at Futures Game". MLB.com. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ "Luis Escobar Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
- ^ Biertempfel, Rob. "Pirates put Austin Meadows on 40-man roster; Gift Ngoepe traded". TribLIVE.com.
- ^ Nubyjas Wilborn (July 6, 2019). "Right-handed reliever Luis Escobar set to make his big league debut for the Pirates". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ "Pirates Place Trevor Williams On Paternity List, Make Four Other Roster Moves". CBS Pittsburgh. July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ Nubyjas Wilborn (July 13, 2019). "Reliever Luis Escobar has solid showing in MLB debut". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
- ^ RotoWire Staff (November 27, 2019). "Pirates' Luis Escobar: Outrighted to Triple-A". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
- ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled". mlb.com. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ^ "Herrera y Escobar: El beisbol colombiano logra notable avance". olmecastabasco.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ "Fubon Guardians Sign Luis Escobar". CPBLStats.com. January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Fubon Guardians Release Luis Escobar". CPBLStats.com. May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ "Luis Escobar abre esta noche ante Generales". olmecastabasco.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ "Acereros: Fortalecen su rotación con la llegada de Luis Escobar". milb.com. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)