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.

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.

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.

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.

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.