Oswaldo Cabrera | |
---|---|
![]() Cabrera with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in 2022 | |
New York Yankees – No. 95 | |
Utility player | |
Born: Guarenas, Venezuela | March 1, 1999|
Bats: Switch Throws: Right | |
MLB debut | |
August 17, 2022, for the New York Yankees | |
MLB statistics (through 2023 season) | |
Batting average | .223 |
Home runs | 11 |
Runs batted in | 48 |
Teams | |
|
Oswaldo Alberto Cabrera (born March 1, 1999) is a Venezuelan professional baseball utility player for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the Yankees as a free agent when he was 16 years old. He made his MLB debut in 2022.
Cabrera is from Guarenas in Venezuela. His father, Leobardo, was a professional volleyball player.[1] His brother, Eleardo, also played baseball.[2] Cabrera trained at the baseball academy run by Carlos Guillén.[3]
Cabrera signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent when he was 16 years old.[4] Cabrera played for the Somerset Patriots of Double-A Northeast in 2021; he led the league in hits and runs batted in (RBIs), and was named the league's most valuable player.[5] The Yankees added him to their 40-man roster, protecting him from being eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft, after the season.[6] The Yankees optioned Cabrera to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for the start of the 2022 season.[7]
The Yankees promoted Cabrera to the major leagues on August 17, 2022, and he made his major league debut that day as the starting third baseman.[8][9] The following day, he picked up his first major league hit, a double off of Toronto Blue Jays starter José Berríos.[10] In his first six major league games, he also started as a shortstop, second baseman, and right fielder.[11] On September 11, Cabrera hit his first major league home run, against Tampa Bay Rays right-handed pitcher Calvin Faucher at Yankee Stadium.[12] On September 21, Cabrera hit his first grand slam against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Roansy Contreras.[13] In 2022, he batted .247/.312/.429 in 154 at bats for the Yankees, with six home runs and 19 RBIs.[14] Cabrera began to play as an outfielder in 2022.[15] He played 27 games in right field, nine games in left field, four games at shortstop, and three games each at first base, second base, and third base.[14]
Cabrera started in left field for the Yankees on Opening Day in 2023 and manager Aaron Boone named him their starting left fielder.[16] He batted .195 in 46 games before the Yankees optioned Cabrera to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 1.[17] The Yankees recalled Cabrera on June 3 due to an injury to Greg Allen.[18]