During the New York Yankees’ opening series against the Houston Astros, there were plenty of positives that the team can look upon as they build for a potentially successful season. Of course, many fans will point to the clutch hitting of Juan Soto, who was fantastic and is currently hitting .346 as of Wednesday’s extra innings win over the Diamondbacks.
But what a lot of people may have overlooked was Oswaldo Cabrera’s hitting. As of Wednesday, he’s currently hitting .375 with 7 RBIs and 2 home runs. Is he going to keep up those numbers for the rest of the season? That’s highly unlikely, but what could be huge for the utility player is his productivity in this lineup.
It’s no secret that this is an important season for Cabrera. In 2023, his OPS+ took a complete nosedive toward a poor mark of 58, 42 points lower than the average MLB player. Additionally, he was just 11 points over the Mendoza line and his struggles certainly fanned the flames of a frustrating season. The Venezuelan infielder couldn’t quite get into stride for this roster, creating a real likelihood of him starting the season at the AAA level. However, with injuries to DJ LeMahieu to start the year, he would have another chance to contribute in a big way for New York in the team’s first series against the Astros. To the surprise of many, he truly took advantage.
Why Cabrera’s success could be so massive for this Yankees roster relates to the same situation he was asked to help with last season. Right now, with LeMahieu’s absence in the lineup, he’s been asked to play a ton of third base, but the 25-year-old can also play at shortstop and second base. He may not wow you with his defense at all three positions, but being able to play serviceable time at all three positions is massive for this roster.
However, where Cabrera really needs to shine is at the plate. While fans shouldn’t expect him to be the star-studded bat of this lineup, being at least an above-average hitter would be great for this team’s depth. The Yankees front office certainly added some extra help after trading for both Trent Grisham and Jon Berti at third base. That’s not even mentioning the return of Jasson Domínguez later this season, but they need to always be ready for the worst. That’s where an available Cabrera would come in extra handy.
Returning to Soto, Cabrera has credited his outfield teammate with helping him improve at the plate. Demonstrating his own mechanics while being able to speak both English and Spanish, Soto has been a tremendously important teacher for players like the young Cabrera.
“He’s great,” Soto said after Cabrera notched a career-high four hits in the Yankees’ 7-1 win over the Astros on Friday. “I’m more than happy for him. That’s a guy who’s been grinding throughout the minor leagues, and to see him coming up to the league and do what he’s been doing — we all know it’s early. But I’m more than excited to keep seeing. He’s been doing that since spring training, so it’s pretty cool.”
Of course, this hype is off a very small sample size of seven games this MLB season, so Cabrera still has a long way to go. But this is the perfect way to build some confidence for the young infielder, something he’s struggled with throughout his brief time in the Majors. Time will tell if he can truly build off that hype as the season progresses.