Back in 2017, the New York Yankees signed a catching prospect that is quickly turning into one of the better outfield prospects in the system. That prospect would be none other than a center fielder, Antonio Cabello. Cabello transitioned to the outfield with the Yankees and his speed/arm strength has played into his success in that transition. Cabello displays a really solid arm in the outfield and has plus speed. In addition to grading out as a potential plus defender, Cabello also has really good bat speed and good raw power. Cabello stands 5’10 and has filled out to a solid 165 pounds. I’m not sure there is a ton more to add in terms of muscle, but even if his strength doesn’t improve, that will not hinder his success.
Sophomore Slump
Cabello struggled a little in 2019 with the Pulaski Yankees. In 56 games, Cabello hit .211 with an OBP of .280. One of the best tools Cabello has is his bat speed, but unfortunately, he swings at a lot of bad pitches. I’ve seen a lot of tapes where Cabello is chasing or just pulling off pitches. He hits a lot of balls into the ground and he misses a lot of bad pitches. Cabello seemed to get a little more aggressive last year which actually hindered his performance. In 2018, Cabello really stood out hitting .308 with an OBP of .427 in his first professional season. He shot up the rankings on a lot of boards, but the momentum halted last year. Now, Cabello is just 19 years old so there is no reason to panic. There is a lot of raw potential with Cabello, just a few things need to be tweaked and cleaned up.
Solid Potential
Antonio Cabello has a ton of potential in the center for the New York Yankees. He has really good speed and a lot of good pop for the position. As fans, we will hope that last year was just the classic sophomore slump as Cabello’s numbers were significantly lower in AVG, Home Runs, Steals, and a significantly higher strikeout rate. When the season starts, I want to see Cabello have the same approach that he had in 2018. He needs to be more patient at the plate and let his raw tools do the work. He has a really solid base that generates good pop and his bat speed just compliments that. If he is able to fine-tune his swing, he has the potential to be a guy who hits in the high 200s with about 25-30 HRs. Despite the down year, a lot of people have a lot of faith in Cabello, and his raw tools make it easy to see why.