OAKLAND, Calif. — Even when Oswaldo Cabrera obtained off to a 3-for-19 with no walks and 9 strikeouts in his first 5 MLB video games, Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone sounded assured the rookie would discover his method on the plate, saying the at-bats have been higher than the numbers indicated.
And the actual fact the 23-year-old was exhibiting off his skill at three completely different positions over these 5 video games masked a few of his potential points offensively.
Now, Cabrera is getting outcomes on the plate, as nicely.
He had his second straight three-hit game Friday night time within the Yankees’ 3-2 win over the Athletics.
Cabrera tripled to proper discipline towards left-hander JP Sears within the third inning and added singles within the fifth and sixth innings. Even when he made an out, it was a liner to proper within the eighth.
The teen additionally made a positive working catch in proper discipline. His only mistake got here when he obtained picked off within the sixth.
Cabrera has additionally now began at 4 completely different spots on the sphere — second base, third base and shortstop, in addition to proper discipline.
And he hasn’t struck out in his previous 5 video games.
Cabrera additionally has offered the Yankees with a switch-hitter, one thing they have been missing with Aaron Hicks virtually glued to the bench whereas in a disastrous stoop.
It’s what the Yankees have been on the lookout for after they promoted Cabrera from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to serve in a utility position.
But that’s not all.
“For a very young player, he plays free and easy for it being his first taste of the big leagues,’’ Boone said Friday. “That’s not always easy to come by. … You can tell he loves playing the game.”
Since his arrival, he has been a daily within the lineup, serving to spell DJ LeMahieu (nonetheless coping with a sore toe), in addition to function outfield depth with Hicks struggling and Giancarlo Stanton not able to return to the sphere after lacking over a month with left Achilles tendinitis.
Cabrera’s common exit velocity is 89.4 mph, simply behind LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo (89.6), and forward of Andrew Benintendi (89.2) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (86.4).
“He’s enjoyable to look at,’’ Stanton mentioned of the rookie whom the Yankees signed out of Venezuela in 2015 for $100,000, in the identical class — and for a similar deal — as Deivi Garcia.
Cabrera has hit nicely for the reason that 2020 minor league season was canceled attributable to COVID-19, posting an OPS of .803 with Double-A Somerset, the place he spent most of final season, after not enjoying above High-A earlier than 2021.
He continued to provide in a nine-game stint with SWB final season and did so once more this yr, with an .832 OPS in 47 video games at Triple-A earlier than his promotion to The Bronx.
“He appears snug and assured on each side,’’ mentioned one AL scout. “It’s too early to say if it’s sustainable, however there are issues to love about him.’’
And he has offered a little bit of a lift to a group that was lagging.
The Yankees have received 5 straight video games — with Cabrera beginning and contributing in all of them.
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