The DNR 25: #22 Miguel Cabrera

Full Name
Jose Miguel Torres Cabrera

DOB
4/18/83

College
None (Maracay High School, Maracay, Venezuela)

Drafted
1999, Amateur Free Agent, Florida Marlins

MLB Seasons
2003-present

Tiger Seasons
2008-present

Career Stats
.311 BA, 209 HR, 753 RBI, .383 OBP, .542 SLG, 140 OPS+

Career Leaderboard
2004-2007 NL All-Star
2005: 2nd in NL hits (198)
2006: 2nd in NL batting average (.339)
2008: 1st in AL total bases (331)
2008: 1st in AL home runs (37)

Best Tiger Season
There’s only been two, but 2008’s numbers were better. Oddly enough, he finished 13th in the MVP voting that year compared to 4th last season. Still, Cabrera’s numbers last year with little support around him in the lineup are still outstanding.
 
Little Known Fact
He has started at least 100 MLB games at first base, third base, left field, and right field.

Reason For Being On The List
Quite simply, he is perhaps the greatest hitter the Tigers organization has ever seen. I’m in awe of him. Al Kaline and ty Cobb are immortals, but Cabrera is an all-around beast at the plate. Baseball-Reference has his most similar batters at the age of 26 as Ken Griffey Jr, Hank Aaron and Orlando Cepada. Not bad company. If he stays in Detroit another decade, he is going to be tops on many people’s lists of all-time Tigers.

Plus, he’s big. Dmitri (Young), Jonesy (Andruw Jones), and now Cabrera. I promise that Jamie Walker won’t be the only Tiger on this list under 200 lbs.

What Happened To Him?
Point-two-six happened. He got drunk with Chicago White Sox players, got into a fight with his wife, had to be picked up from the police station by Double D (general manager David Dombrowski) and became the scapegoat of the 2009 Detroit Tigers season.

Let it go, people. Miguel Cabrera is a once in a lifetime franchise player. The important question to ask is what will happen to him if we can ever offer him some protection in the lineup? Triple crown, anyone?

Only Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez are more gifted at the plate than Cabrera in my opinion. The best is yet to come. He screwed up. Let it go.

Miguel and his wife, Rosangel, live with their daughter in Birmingham, MI.