Advance Scouting Series: Miguel Cabrera

Player Name: Miguel Cabrera

Context: 10 Games; 9/11/13 to 9/21/13

PA

AB

H

1^st P

K

BB

TB

Hard

AVE

OBP

SLG

OPS

TOTALS

44

35

12

17

4

8

16

13

.343

.477

.457

.934

Sample vs. Season:

Similar average and on-base percentage to overall season; slugging is decreased substantially; demonstrating more contact-oriented approach during sample; multiple injuries likely playing a role in decreased slugging.

Physical/Health:

Physically imposing; listed at 6’4”, 240; listing might be a little light; broad shoulders; thick middle and lower half; exceptionally strong; forearms/wrists hold near-elite strength; battling multiple injuries; hip flexor and abdominal injury have been lingering for a while; groin strain suffered 9/21/13; all injuries reported as day-to-day status.

Hit Tool

Elite hitter; best hitter in the game; extremely balanced in the box; quiet load; short stride; hands explode to and through the hitting zone; tremendous bat speed; hip turn is impressive and consistently on-time for maximum effect; excellent swing plane; barrel stays in the zone as long as anyone I have ever seen; can make contact on any pitch type in any part of the zone; plate coverage is off the charts; can make loud contact outside of the zone in any direction; knows the strike zone extremely well and adjusts quickly to what the umpire is calling; gifted natural hitter with innate feel for contact; handles velocity well and adjusts to speed variation quickly; uses entire field exceptionally well; no obvious weakness in raw hitting ability; does some unorthodox things at times but does it with a plan; very good understanding of game situation; will swing in any count; best pure hitter I have ever scouted. — Grade: 8

vs. LHP

vs. RHP

Exceptional ability to see the ball from LHP; no identifiable weakness; calm, cool and collected in all at-bats observed; handles stuff to pitcher’s arm side extremely well; forces pitchers to challenge inside and then can beat them when they go there; don’t let him face LHP in critical spots.

Slightly more aggressive approach against RHP; more willing to swing early in count; doesn’t look as settled but still stings the ball consistently; still kills RHP but should be forced to hit RHP in tight spots.

Notable At-bats

Date

Description

9/11/13

Sixth inning vs. Quintana (LHP); First pitch FB off the plate called for a strike and third pitch FB borderline strike low/away; displayed visible frustration after both pitches; fouled off fourth pitch low/away; took way inside but didn’t back off plate; fouled FB substantially off the plate away on sixth pitch; lined seventh pitch (SL way down) off the fence in RF; displayed exceptional strike zone knowledge, plate (and off-plate) coverage, and ability to adjust within the at-bat to what the pitcher was doing.

9/13/13

Seventh inning vs. Coleman (RHP); three straight SL; low-away, low and in the dirt, in sequence; fooled on all three pitches; high-quality (60-70 grade) sliders; unusual sequence that hitter didn’t appear to anticipate; demonstrated limited susceptibility to good SL.

9/21/13

Fourth inning vs. Sale (LHP); CH 82 low; CH 83 away off plate, lined to RF; even with different location, hitter quickly adjusted to similar velocity and lined a sharp single; should have been a double; difficulty running showed and was thrown out at 2B.

Power

Raw power is extremely impressive; top-of-the-scale power hitter; power extends from line to line with ease; explosive bat speed and massive strength provide dangerous combination; can show in-game power on any type of pitch in any part of the zone; goes with the pitch and displays full extent of raw consistently; doesn’t muscle up to drive the ball out of the park; everything is easy; elite power. – Grade: 8

vs. LHP

vs. RHP

Extreme care required; crushes LHP; .700+ slugging against LHP in 2013; appears to see the ball exceedingly well; will adjust unload if LHP try to stay arm-side; execution must be perfect and that still might not be enough.

Power is still elite but not as daunting as against LHP; forced to pull the ball more against RHP at times and doesn’t always completely turn on it for power; extremely dangerous versus RHP as well.

Notable At-bats

Date

Description

9/17/13

Sixth inning vs. Maurer (RHP); started SL-SL, then CB-CB; even (2-2) count; all off-speed to this point and hitter still caught up with FB at 93 for home run to RF; unusual sequence from pitcher and hitter still had little trouble staying back and punishing the ball.

Speed/ Baserunning

Typically no threat to run; near bottom of the scale runner at full health; reluctant to push on the bases during current sample; injuries are clearly hindering running ability; multiple balls that should be doubles were kept as singles; couldn’t take extra bases on gap hits by teammates; extremely limited running overall; no threat on the bases at this time.

Conclusions and Means of Attack

No clear approach to attack or exploitable weaknesses; can hit anything and everything, in and out of the strike zone; tremendous understanding of the strike zone; great feel to hit; elite level power that plays to elite level; adjusts as fast as any hitter in the game; shows willingness to deviate from pre-conceived game plan and still accomplish goal; nearly unstoppable force; born to hit; injuries appear to be limiting ability to tap into true raw power at this time, but can still get after it and drive the ball out of the park; typically very good pitch recognition but will get fooled by plus to plus-plus SL and will chase at times; should never face LHP in high-leverage situations; can get hitter by over-sequence and avoiding anything close to predictability; throw any pitch in any count; must change locations of pitches constantly; hitter is too intelligent to repeatedly throw the same velocity or the same location; impeccable execution is paramount.

Have to truly understand that an acceptable outcome in these at-bats is a walk; quality – and on the surface random — execution of full depth and breadth of arsenal and entirety of strike zone is the only possible way to attack the hitter.

Matchup Stats at a Glance

First Pitch Swing

17/44; 38.6 percent

Bunt Threat (Sac, Push, Drag)

Did not show bunt; no threat to bunt at any time.

Defensive Positioning

Straight up; normal depth; sprays the ball; no advantage gained from alternate positioning.

Outfield

Straight up; deep to all fields; ball falling in front of fielders for singles is an acceptable end state.

Splits

vs. LHP

.377/.494/.738

vs. RHP

.340/.428/.618