The Kansas City Royals downed the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-3, in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night to win the pennant, and shortstop Alcides Escobar was presented with ALCS MVP honors at the postgame podium.
According to the Kansas City Star's Pete Grathoff, Escobar was a unanimous selection. Fox Sports noted that Escobar and Ozzie Smith are the only shortstops to win an LCS MVP in league history.
Although Escobar went just 1-for-4 with a strikeout in Friday's clincher, he was on a torrid pace in the Royals' first five games against the Blue Jays. Escobar started his series off by going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI before doing major damage when the series shifted north of the border.
While a 1-for-4 Game 2 effort represented a minor blemish on his ALCS resume, Escobar went 4-for-5 with a triple while scoring three runs in an 11-8 Game 3 loss before driving in four runs in Kansas City's 14-2 Game 4 win.
Escobar finished the ALCS with a .478 batting average, six runs scored and five RBI. According to Baseball Tonight, Escobar and Dustin Pedroia are the only leadoff hitters to compile at least 10 hits and five RBI in an LCS.
After Escobar's regular-season batting average dropped from .285 in 2014 to .257 in 2015, it would have been hard to see this ALCS explosion coming. Heck, Escobar didn't drive in a single run and recorded just two extra-base hits in the ALDS against the Houston Astros.
But now that he has momentum on his side, Escobar will attempt to sustain his production against the New York Mets' dominant pitching staff as the Royals seek to capture their first World Series title since 1985.
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