Miguel Cabrera is the Best.

He just is. You’re looking at a guy who can be put up with the greatest of all time. I’m talking Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb good.

 

Last year he won the Triple Crown, having the best batting average and the most home runs and RBI’s in the American League. He batted .330/.393/.606 with 44 homers and 139 RBI’s. He won the MVP award without a doubt, although there was quite the controversy whether he or Mike Trout would get it. Would you believe me when I told you that he is better this year, and will be even better over the years?

This year he is leading the league in runs, hits, RBI’s, walks, batting average, OBP, OPS, OPS+, and Total Bases. Notice that I didn’t say home runs. He has 30 homers, but that’s second to Baltimore Orioles’ Chris Davis. I personally think that he will pass Davis by the end of the year, but if he doesn’t, good for Davis, and I don’t think Cabrera will be too mad. 

But this year, you just have to see him to believe him. He bats .366/.457/.682 with a 1.138 OPS, and has 130 hits, 20 of them doubles, 30 of them home runs, and has driven in an astounding 94 RBI’s. He is the first player in Major League history to hit 30 homers and 90 RBI’s before the all-star break. He is on track for almost 200 RBI’s, which would be by far a record. He leads the AL with a 5.3 WAR, and broke the record for most votes to get into the all-star game. 

Has he always been this good? Yes. When he was a rookie with the Florida Marlins in 2003, he batted 3^rd in the World Series, which they would win. The only other person to do that when he was 20 years old was another Tiger, Ty Cobb (although, Ty Cobb and the Tigers would lose that World Series). He has a career .321 batting average, a .398 OBP, and has already hit 351 homers. He’s only 30 years old. 

He is on track to hit 60 homers, 260 hits, and 112 walks. Last year he hit 44 homers, had 205 hits, and walked only 66 times. He also is grounding into double plays much less than last year, when he recorded an AL high 28 double plays. 

 

So what’s his secret? Is he just stronger than anyone else? Probably, but he’s also smarter than almost everyone else. He studies pitchers so well that he can tell what they will throw not only at him, but at his teammates as well. For example, he knows what they’ll throw just by what position they are in the batting order, or if anybody is on base. According to his coach, Jim Leyland, during batting practice, Cabrera can place his homers, starting at left field, then going left center, then center, then right center, then right. I don’t get it. That’s too good. 

The Detroit Tigers are 2^nd in runs (464), 1^st in batting average (.281), 2^nd in OBP (.348), and 3^rd in slugging % (.438). 28% of those runs come from Miguel Cabrera. Yeah, that’s too good.

I still have this team as my favorite for the AL Pennant, mostly because of Miguel Cabrera. Hopefully the bullpen can perform a little better for them. Will Cabrera win the MVP? Well, if keeps it up at this race, then there will be no doubt of him winning. You have to see it to believe it.

Email me at statsbuddy42@gmail.com for any questions/comments/concerns.

-Evan Boyd