Midseason Update: Cabrera, who broke out in 2021 after adding plenty of strength to his frame and adjusting his approach to get more balls in the air, has been on the IL since the middle of May with a shoulder impingement. He began a rehab assignment on July 4 at Low-A Tampa.
Track Record: Cabrera was signed by the Yankees way back in 2015 and slowly wound his way through the system. He always made plenty of contact but failed to produce much in the way of impact. That changed in 2021. He relocated to Tampa for the 2020 season and added strength and power to his game. His hard work paid off, and his 29 home runs in 2021 eclipsed his overall career total by seven and tied him for second in the organization behind Dermis Garcia.
Scouting Report: Cabrera's transformation centers around the strength he gained since the shutdown. Overall, he gained 55 pounds since signing. He showed up to minor league spring training visibly stronger and more filled out, and the results followed. The ball jumped off his bat in ways it never had before, including a 5 mph jump in average exit velocity over the past two seasons. Cabrera also changed his batted ball profile to lean more toward getting the ball in the air than in any of his previous seasons. He maintained his excellent bat-to-ball skills—his swinging-strike rate was just 13% at Double-A—while exponentially increasing his impact. His bigger body has led to a bit of a slowdown on the bases and in the field. Those changes are likely to keep him from playing shortstop—he'll still be able to play there in a pinch—and move him into more of a super utility role in which he could see time at second and third base. He has the potential to be an above-average or plus defender at either of the latter two positions.
The Future: A year ago, Cabrera was part of a host of Yankees farmhands who were left unprotected for the Rule 5 draft and then showed up renewed for 2021. He will likely start the season back at Triple-A.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 50. Speed: 40. Fielding: 60. Arm: 55.
