Nephew of Former Angels Pitcher is Making Waves — With an Assist From Kobe Bryant

Aroon Escobar isn't a name most Angels fans have heard.

Kobe Bryant is.

Escobar, the nephew of former Angels pitcher Kelvim Escobar, is a versatile infielder and a rising prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies' farm system. The 20-year-old Escobar is also a devoted devourer of the Tao of Kobe.

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Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer caught up with Escobar, who's currently playing for the Class-A Clearwater Threshers in the Florida State League.

Writes Coffey: "During that 2023 season, (Escobar) began to work with Phillies mental performance coach Manuel Antuña on visualization. Antuña also recommended a book for Escobar: The Mamba Mentality: How I Play, by the late Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

"He was hooked. Now, Bryant’s teachings — and visualization — are parts of his daily routine."

Kelvin Escobar pitched parts of 12 seasons with the Blue Jays and Angels, wrapping up his major league career in Anaheim from 2004-09. The right-hander went 43-36 with a 3.60 ERA (125 ERA+) for Mike Scioscia's teams.

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Aroon Escobar was named the Phillies’ minor league hitter of the month for April. He reached base safely in all 19 games he played last month. He slashed .360/.461/.627 in 89 April plate appearances and paced the Florida State League with 21 runs in the opening month while landing in the top-five for nearly every offensive category.

It's a dramatic turnaround in the career of a potential second-generation star.

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Escobar made the leap to the U.S. from the Phillies' Dominican Summer League complex team despite hitting .209, with a .343 on-base percentage and .300 slugging percentage, in 33 games in 2023.

Last year, he put together an impressive season with the Phillies' Florida Complex League team, slashing .338/.495/.481 in 24 games. It's a small sample size, but Escobar's performance this season suggests it is no fluke.

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Coincidentally, the elder Escobar was a teammate of Vladimir Guerrero Sr., whose namesake son is already a four-time All-Star (and just went 6-for-11 with a double in three games at Angel Stadium this week). He was also a teammate of Reggie Willits, whose son, Eli, is among the top 2025 MLB draft prospects.

Now, Aroon Escobar is on a trajectory to give the late-2000s Angels a possible trio of future second-generation stars.

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