Why Oswaldo Cabrera Needs To Play Everyday

I have been impressed with Oswaldo Cabrera since he first stepped into the big leagues. Firstly, his smile is contagious but secondly, and more importantly, he can play baseball. He has speed, he has good defense and a consistent sweet swing. And he has had an incredible start to the 2024 season. So why does Boone keep him on the bench instead of playing him everyday? Your guess is as good as mine.

“Between his critical long ball on Saturday afternoon and his run-scoring double in Game 2 of the doubleheader, Cabrera is hitting .333 (13-for-41) on the season with a .973 OPS. In 11 games played, Cabrera has 11 RBI. Only superstar Juan Soto — who also homered on Saturday — has more (15). “He’s a big part of this team in this offense right now,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said. “We love to have him here,” reported NJ.com. 

But like the Aaron Boone of the past, Cabrera sat for games when he was hot with the bat. Instead Boone opted for Jon Berti in his place. And of course Cabrera would have been sanctioned as the utility man if DJ LeMahieu was healthy. Yet, his teammates like what they see in Cabrera, which might keep him in the lineup even when Berti and LeMahieu return from the IL.

“Talk about somebody that comes to the field every day and gives everything he has,” catcher Jose Trevino said. “The definition is Oswaldo Cabrera. Watching him grow, watching him come up, watching him play the game, how he handles himself, how he handles his teammates. It’s top of the charts for me,” reported NJ.com.

The challenge for Cabrera is to stay consistent and keeping up with the pitching across baseball. It takes a lot of work to stay sharp and focused, night after night. And as a young player he needs to see more pitches to continue to grow and improve. Cabrera’s defense may keep him in the lineup as Gleyber Torres continues to tumble both at the plate and on the field. Torres’ defense has been abysmal as of late. And it is a free agent year for Torres, who started the season at the top of lineup and has since moved down to the 6 or 7 slot.

Cabrera is certainly making a case to be an everyday player for the New York Yankees. Will his campaign win him a place once LeMahieu comes back into the fold? It’s anyone’s guess, but if it was my choice, I would be damn sure Cabrera got as much time in the lineup as possible, so he can demonstrate his value and perhaps find a place in the lineup permanently. 

–Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof