3 players most likely to become Yankee Killers in 2022

2. Eduardo Escobar

After Francisco Lindor, Javier Báez and James McCann all did it to the Yankees in 2021, it’d only be natural for the newest free-swinging, yet powerful Met to join in on the action.

Escobar has never caused the Yankees too much trouble, but remember: this isn’t about logic and reason! It’s about predicting your next gut feeling. And, besides, he was on the Minnesota Twins! That undoes any amount of magic that being on the Mets should now amplify. It’s science.

Career against the Yanks, Escobar has 10 XBH (three homers) in 118 at-bats, but his fearlessness and propensity to come through in big moments will likely be amplified at Citi Field next year. Can’t you just see him sliding effortlessly into Báez’s spot and teaming with Lindor to cause Brian Cashman misery? After all, Cash never even looked their way.

Lindor was supposed to be the Yankees’ preferred shortstop solution, and yet they weren’t willing to give the Mets what it took to snag him last offseason (very little!). Boom, six months later he can’t hit anyone except Chad Green.

Now, the flamboyant Escobar is next in line coming off a 2.4-WAR, 109 OPS+ campaign split between Milwaukee and Arizona. You don’t think he’ll light up a bit now that he’s in the spotlight on a far bigger stage? The Yankees could use a versatile infield/outfield bat. They didn’t budge. And now, it turns into a grudge.