When the New York Yankees called up Oswaldo Cabrara, they didn’t anticipate he would provide such a spark on both offense and defense. Across nine games, Cabrera has only gotten better, showcasing elite depends at multiple positions and a surging bat, tallying seven hits in his last three games, including a triple and two RBIs.
The Oakland Athletics represent a “get-right” team, and they are certainly offering the Yankees an opportunity to get their offense right before the final month of the regular season. Cabrera can attest to that, recording six hitting in his last two games over 10 at-bats, scoring two runs.
He’s posted two consecutive games with three hits, elevating his batting average to .286 on the season with a 32.4% on-base rate. Given the small sample size, his averages are rather volatile, but he’s displaying a fantastic impact, doing enough to help push the Yankees over the edge on Oakland in a 3-2 win on Friday.
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The Yankees are getting fantastic value from Oswaldo Cabrera:
However, Cabrera hasn’t only been a stud in the batter’s box the last few days, he’s also been providing quality defense at shortstop, third base, second base, and in right field. In fact, he hosts three defensive runs saved above average over nine games, making a few phenomenal plays since being called up.
Watching his energy and talent, it is safe to say the Yankees are watching a star form them right in front of their eyes. Cabrera is making a serious push to be included on the playoff roster, which would be a phenomenal accomplishment, given he just joined the team a few days ago.
Looking at Cabrera‘s more advanced analytics, he features a 42.3% hard-hit rate, 3.8% barrel rate, and 90.6 mph of exit velocity on average. He’s making quality contact but would like to increase his barrel rate, hopefully translating to a few homers. Despite a 23.4° launch angle, Cabrera hasn’t managed to tally his first home run just yet. He hosts a 46.2% flyball rate, which is fantastic, paired with a 39.7% pull rate.
There is no question that Cabrera is quickly making an impact and adjusting to MLB-level pitching. With two games against the Oakland Athletics to continue building his confidence, Cabrera is in a prime spot to take on a more substantial role.
After Oakland, the Yankees will take on the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game series and the Tampa Bay Rays before heading home against Minnesota. Los Angeles is struggling considerably this season, losing six of their last seven games. They represent another opportunity for Cabrera to continue his stretch of dominant play and prepare for the postseason.