Semien is making a strong impression in what may be a breakthrough season for him with Oakland. But Escobar has a couple of built-in advantages in this argument.
The Kansas City club established itself last year, winning the AL pennant after a 29-year absence from the postseason. With that success, individual Royals players gained higher profiles. At a recent point in the All-Star balloting, five Royals were in first place in the voting. One of them, understandably, was Escobar.
The A's, meanwhile, have qualified for the postseason in three straight seasons. But at this point in 2015, they are last place in the AL West, with the league's worst record.