2023 Yankees in Review: Oswaldo Cabrera

Oswaldo Cabrera

Positions: left field (51 games), fight field (49 games), third base (15 games), second base (6 games), shortstop (5 games), center Field (1 game), first Base (1 game)

Bats/Throws: Switch/Right

Age: 24

MLB Experience: 2 seasons (2022-present with NYY)

2023 Stats: 115 GP, 330 PA, 35 R, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 8 SB, .211 AVG, .275 OBP, .299 SLG, .574 OPS, 58 OPS+, 60 wRC+, -0.6 fWAR, -1.5 bWAR

Seeing a prospect struggle is always tough to watch, and that was no different with Oswaldo Cabrera’s 2023 season.

When Cabrera was called up to the majors in August 2022, he infused much-needed energy into the team and helped them secure the AL East down the stretch. He did it on both sides of the ball; at the plate, he had 15 extra-base hits (including six homers), a .247/.312/.429 slash line, and a 113 wRC+. Cabrera added further value as a switch-hitter to provide better lineup balance, while his left-handed swing looked perfect for Yankee Stadium.

On defense, Cabrera was even better, totaling 13 defensive runs saved while playing both the infield and outfield, and had he played more than 44 games, he would have gotten legitimate consideration for a Gold Glove Award.

Cabrera entered 2023 as the starting left fielder in addition to his super utility role. With his promising performance in 2022, many fans were excited to see what he was capable of in a full season, and to see his development progress further.

Unfortunately, Cabrera significantly regressed in nearly every area of his game (except for base running). In his official rookie season, he went from posting a 1.5 fWAR and 2.0 bWAR (in just 44 games) in 2022 to being below replacement level in 2023.

The worst of Cabrera’s woes came at the plate. Although his strikeout percentage was slightly lower (21.8% as opposed to 25.7%), his power suddenly vanished; his slugging percentage was under .300 on the season, and he had just 16 extra-base hits in 115 games (a mark he was one short of in significantly fewer games last year). His left-handed stroke saw the worst of it, as he had a lower slugging percentage (.283) than his on-base percentage (.284). The power was slightly better from the right side, with a .354 slugging percentage, but that doesn’t mean much when his on-base percentage from that side was just .243. He did have a mini-hot streak from August 28 to September 16, where he batted .300/.429/.425, but quickly cooled down and hit .170/.170/.245 after that.

The lower power may have to do with having a much harder time finding the sweet spot of the bat; Cabrera had a 41.1% sweet spot percentage in 2022 according to Baseball Savant. That percentage dropped to 27.7% in 2023. Although Cabrera didn’t qualify to have percentile rankings in either season, the 2022 sweet spot percentage would have been among the best in the majors, while this year’s would have been one of the worst.

Shockingly, Cabrera’s defense was also much worse according to defensive metrics. He went from 13 DRS in 2022 to -4 in 2023, while his dWAR dropped from 1.3 to -0.7. In the outfield, his Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) went from 6.9 to -2.6. Considering how much defensive value Cabrera provided in 2022, seeing his defense fall below league average the very next year is concerning.

The only area where Cabrera showed improvement was base running; his base running runs above average went up a full run from 0.4 to 1.4. He also stole eight bases without getting caught, as opposed to 2022 where he was caught twice in five steal attempts.

With such a severe decline in his statistics in nearly every area, Cabrera will unfortunately become the first Yankee in this series to earn a failing grade for his season.

However, I still believe Cabrera should be involved in the Yankees’ future, and this season should only be viewed as a setback in his development. The Yankees didn’t do him any favors in trying to help his development, as he was slated to be brought down to Triple-A numerous times to tune up his hitting mechanics, only to stay on the roster due to an injury to another player. This constant shuffling hurt not just Cabrera’s playing time (particularly in late July and early August), but also robbed him of valuable in-game opportunities to figure out what he’s doing wrong and make the necessary adjustments to his swing.

Even with his major struggles this year, expect Cabrera to stay on the major league roster for good. Fellow super utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa will be a free agent during the offseason; Cabrera is younger, isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2027, and has higher upside. If Kiner-Falefa leaves, Cabrera will likely inherit the super utility role on the team.

Cabrera’s rookie season was ultimately a failure. However, he’s only 24-years-old, and has plenty of time to rediscover what made him such an asset when he was called up. Hopefully the Yankees can do a better job assisting him in finding that form again.

Grade: F

Next Player: Aaron Judge