Alcides Escobar has said he’d like to play in all 162 games this season, and that’s an admirable goal. Not every big-league player wants to play every day; a lot of them don’t mind a day off, so a guy that makes you better and wants to be in the lineup every day is a treasure.
Ned Yost has praised Escobar’s physical durability, but playing in 162 games also takes a mental toll.
Between every pitch a big-league shortstop should:
u25aa Pick up the sign from the catcher and let the third baseman know if the pitch is going to be a fastball or off-speed.