Death. Taxes. Alcides Escobar.
That has been the popular refrain among Royals fans, due to the constant appearance of the shortstop in the Royals lineup. Escobar has appeared in 97% of Royals games since he was acquired from Milwaukee, including a current streak of 333 games in a row. Esky’s fixture in the lineup comes despite being one of the worst hitters in baseball over the last few seasons.
But Ned Yost values his defense and believes in his magical ability to “ambush” pitchers and lead off, and so Alcides Escobar being in the Royals lineup becomes as inevitable as death or taxes.