Miguel Cabrera, First Base, Detroit Tigers, #24


Date of Birth: 4/18/1983
Birthplace: Maracay, Venezuela
Nickname: Miggy

Miguel Cabrera, power hitting first baseman for the Detroit Tigers, began his major league baseball career with the Florida Marlins when he was just 20 years old. He ended his 2003 rookie season with a batting average of .268 with 12 home runs and 62 RBIs in only 87 games. The following season he played in 160 games, batted .294 and had 33 home runs and 112 RBIs.

Cabrera played even better ball in his next three years with the Marlins, batting .323 in 2005 with 33 home runs and 116 RBIs and .339 in 2006 with 26 home runs and 114 RBIs. In 2007, his last season with the Marlins, he batted .320 with 34 home runs and 119 RBIs. In five years with the Marlins, Cabrera earned 2 Silver Slugger awards (2005, 2006) and he was chosen for 4 All Star games (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007).

Considering his success with the Marlins, it is surprising that they traded Cabrera in December, 2007 to the Detroit Tigers. In 2008, Cabrera and the Tigers signed an 8-year, $185.3 million contract. Since signing that contract, Cabrera has achieved the following accomplishments:

  • 5 more Silver Slugger awards (2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016)
  • AL home run leader in 2008 and 2012
  • AL RBI leader in 2010 and 2012
  • AL MVP and Triple Crown winner in 2012
  • AL MVP winner and leader in batting average in 2013

In March, 2014, Cabrera and the Tigers agreed to an eight-year contract extension worth $248 million. He still has two years and $44 million on his current contract so Tigers fans will have 10 more years to enjoy Cabrera's talents.

Cabrera continued to play outstanding baseball in 2014. He finished the season with a career high 52 doubles, the highest number in the American League and the second highest in major league baseball. He was second in the American League and third in MLB in RBIs with 109. He batted .313 with 191 hits and 25 home runs in 159 games. He also played extremely well in the postseason, batting .364 with 4 hits, including 1 double and 1 home run, and 1 RBI in 11 at-bats in 3 games.

Cabrera had another strong season in 2015, winning his fourth batting title in five years. He led all major league players in batting average with .338 and he won his sixth Silver Slugger award. He spent time on the DL in July and August, limiting his playing time to 119 games. He finished the season with 145 hits, 28 doubles, 18 home runs, and 76 RBIs. As a first baseman in 107 games, he made 76 assists, 96 double plays, 903 putouts, and 4 errors.

In 2016, Cabrera again proved that he is one of the best players in the major leagues. He batted .316 with 188 hits, 31 doubles, 38 home runs, and 108 RBIs in 158 games. Defensively, at first base, he made 95 assists, 124 double plays, 1,186 putouts, and 7 errors in 147 games and he had a .995 fielding percentage.

Cabrera was awarded his seventh Silver Slugger award in 2016.

Cabrera spent time on the DL in 2017, playing in 130 games with the Tigers. He finished the season with a career low batting average of .249, 117 hits, 22 doubles, 16 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 110 strikeouts to 54 walks. Defensively, as the Tigers' first baseman in 115 games, he made 63 assists, 90 double plays, 761 putouts, and 1 error. He had a .999 fielding percentage.

Cabrera had season ending left biceps surgery on June 14, 2018. In 38 games in 2018, he batted .299 with 40 hits, 11 doubles, 3 home runs, and 22 RBIs.

Cabrera came back strong in 2019, finishing the season with 139 hits, 21 doubles, 12 home runs, 59 RBIs, 108 strikeouts to 48 walks, and a .282 batting average in 136 games. He played most of the games as Detroit's DH.

Cabrera played in 57 games in 2020. He finished the season with 51 hits, 4 doubles, 10 home runs, 35 RBIs, 51 strikeouts to 24 walks, and a .250 batting average. He was the Tigers' DH in 56 games.

Cabrera finished the 2021 season with 121 hits, 16 doubles, 15 home runs, 75 RBIs, 118 strikeouts to 40 walks, and a .256 batting average in 130 games. Defensively, he played 44 games at first base.

Batting statistics for Cabrera in 19 seasons (2003-2021) include:

  • 11 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .348 in 2013
  • 12 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 205 in 2012
  • 11 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 52 in 2014
  • 12 seasons with over 20 home runs, with a high of 44 in 2012 and 2013
  • 12 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 139 in 2012

Career batting statistics for Cabrera through 2021 include:

  • 2,587 games played
  • 2,987 hits
  • 597 doubles
  • 502 home runs
  • 1,804 RBIs
  • 1,930 strikeouts to 1,199 walks
  • .310 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Cabrera at first base through 2021 include:

  • 1,195 games played
  • 753 assists
  • 974 double plays
  • 9,409 putouts
  • 62 errors
  • .994 fielding percentage

Charitable Work

Cabrera started The Miguel Cabrera Foundation in 2012 to aid children through school grants and scholarships. Information is available at miggy24.com.

Personal Life

Cabrera and his wife Rosangel have one son and two daughters.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Miguel Cabrera
ESPN Sports - Miguel Cabrera