| Oswaldo Cabrera | |
| Team: | New York Yankees |
| Number: | 95 |
| Position: | Utility player |
| Birth Date: | 1 March 1999 |
| Birth Place: | Guarenas, Venezuela |
| Bats: | Switch |
| Throws: | Right |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | August 17 |
| Debutyear: | 2022 |
| Debutteam: | New York Yankees |
| Statyear: | August 17, 2024 |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Stat1label: | Batting average |
| Stat1value: | .234 |
| Stat3label: | Home runs |
| Stat3value: | 19 |
| Stat4label: | Runs batted in |
| Stat4value: | 83 |
| Teams: |
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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 brothers, Eleardo and Leobaldo, also played baseball.[2] [3] Cabrera trained at the baseball academy run by Carlos Guillén.[4]
Cabrera signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent when he was 16 years old.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7] The Yankees optioned Cabrera to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for the start of the 2022 season.[8]
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.[9] [10] The following day, he picked up his first major league hit, a double off of Toronto Blue Jays starter José Berríos.[11] In his first six major league games, he also started as a shortstop, second baseman, and right fielder.[12] On September 11, Cabrera hit his first major league home run, against Tampa Bay Rays right-handed pitcher Calvin Faucher at Yankee Stadium.[13] On September 21, Cabrera hit his first grand slam against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Roansy Contreras.[14] In 2022, he batted .247/.312/.429 in 154 at bats for the Yankees, with six home runs and 19 RBIs.[15] Cabrera began to play as an outfielder in 2022.[16] 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.[15]
Cabrera started in left field for the Yankees on Opening Day in 2023 and manager Aaron Boone named him their starting left fielder.[17] He batted .195 in 46 games before the Yankees optioned Cabrera to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 1.[18] The Yankees recalled Cabrera on June 3 due to an injury to Greg Allen.[19] He finished the regular season with a .211 average, five home runs and 29 RBIs in 115 games. After the 2023 season, Cabrera played winter ball for the Tiburones de La Guaira of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.[3]
Due to an injury to DJ LeMahieu, Cabrera opened the 2024 season as the Yankees' regular third baseman.[20] On March 29, 2024, Cabrera had his first four-hit game in the major leagues.[21]