Rising Prospect Aroon Escobar Gives Phillies Potential Infield Succession Plan

It’s time to consider how the Philadelphia Phillies might deploy prospect Aroon Escobar in the Majors as he gathers momentum in his development.

A red Philadelphia Phillies hat with a logo of the Liberty Bell in the front. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Going into the 2024 minor league season, the Philadelphia Phillies were just hoping infield prospect Aroon Escobar could get his bat right.

Now, entering 2026, he’s gathering momentum toward a Major League call-up in the next two years. That presents the Phillies with an interesting dilemma.

Escobar, who turned 21 years old on New Year’s Day, is from Venezuela and is the Phillies’ No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline. The site recently wrote about a breakout prospect from 2025 for each organization and selected Escobar, noting that the young middle infielder was flirting with a Top 100 spot last season.

Escobar’s 2025 was truly noteworthy, and it builds a case for him to make the Majors one day at two spots currently held by veterans.

Aroon Escobar’s Phillies Fit

Happy 21st Birthday to Phillies prospect Aroon Escobar!
pic.twitter.com/9uSNBraVbm

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) January 1, 2026

Last season, Escobar slashed .270/.361/.413 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI in 120 games. It was the first time he flashed consistent power in the minors. More importantly, he finally got out of rookie ball after three seasons there and played for three different Phillies full-season affiliates — Class-A Clearwater, High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading.

Where he’s been used in the minor league is instructive. He’s played most of his games at second base, with a smattering at both third base and shortstop. He appears to be a fit for those three positions, and his sudden emergence allows the Phillies to plan, as two of those positions could open soon.

Third baseman Alec Bohm is a free agent after the 2026 season. While there have been trade rumors around him, it seems less likely he’ll be moved, at least before the start of the season. He missed more than a month due to injuries last season and saw his run production fall as a result. The 2024 All-Star selection could be on the move after this season. Escobar, who hasn’t played at Triple-A may not be ready for the Majors.

But, another top prospect, Aidan Miller, could be ready. But he hasn’t played third base. If Phillies fans see him playing third base in the minors, that could be Philadelphia’s plan for 2027.

A more likely avenue is second base, where Bryson Stott is under team control for two more seasons. A first-round pick in 2019, he’s given the Phillies consistent offense and defense for four seasons. But Philadelphia’s high payroll may force them to make decisions. As second base is Escobar’s natural position, he would get two years of development before the Phillies had to make a choice.

The Phillies landed Escobar in 2022 during the international free agency period. He spent both the 2022 and 2023 minor league seasons in the Dominican Summer League, where he struggled for consistency with his bat while learning the ropes at other positions. Philadelphia brought him stateside in 2024, dropped him in their Florida Complex League and something clicked.

In 24 games he slashed .338/.495/.481 with three home runs and 17 RBI, setting the stage for his true breakout in 2025. He had no listed injury, so it’s not clear why he only played in 24 games that season. But it established him as a prospect to watch in the organization after two years of struggling in the DSL.