Get to Know Giants’ Prospect Gustavo Cabrera

By Sean Bialaszek | Feb 13, 2015

As Spring Training rapidly approaches, a lot of the San Francisco Giants‘ focus is on acquiring a couple of talented young Cuban players, Yoan Moncada and Hector Olivera. Currently in their system, they have a highly-touted young prospect who they signed as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2012.

The Giants signed Gustavo Cabrera as a 16-year-old in 2012 as a prized international free agent. He signed for about $1.3 million, and immediately became the team’s top foreign signing, as well as a top prospect.

The center fielder didn’t play in 2012, but the next year, he made his debut in the Dominican Summer League with the Giants’ affiliate at the ripe old age of 17. The overall numbers don’t particularly jump out at you. He posted a .247/.379./.360 slash-line with seven doubles, four triples, two home runs and 22 RBI. One number that does stand out is 21 stolen bases.

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Cabrera’s statistics were hampered by a slow start in the DSL. Over the months of June and July, he played in 38 games, and hit to the tune of a .211 average with five doubles, a pair of triples, 13 RBI, and no long balls.

He turned his game up in August, and made up for the sluggish beginning. In his last 16 games, he spiked his average up to .340, with two doubles, two triples, two homers, and 9 RBI.

He seemed poised to make his debut in the United States in 2014, but then, the unthinkable happened. While in his home in November, 2013, Cabrera slipped, and while trying to catch himself, he put his hand through a glass table, and suffered numerous lacerations to his right wrist. Baseball America’s Ben Badler, who saw pictures of the injury, called it nothing short of gruesome. Reports also stated that Cabrera was lucky to not have his hand amputated.

The injury required numerous surgeries, as the glass cut through tendons, and put his 2014 season in serious jeopardy. He wound up not playing during the minor league season, as the rehab process took about a year.

However, last October, Mercury News’ Alex Pavlovic made a note in one of his articles, stating that Cabrera was back on a baseball diamond, playing once again. He was not playing the field yet, and was set as a designated hitter. For Cabrera to be back on a baseball diamond at all was truly miraculous, considering he was inches away from losing his hand altogether.

Before the injury, Cabrera was considered a legitimate five-tool prospect. Speed is his best asset, which was proven by his triple and steals total in 2013. He possessed strong contact ability, and had good raw power for a player of his age. In center field, he had solid range and a very good throwing arm, as evidenced by his five outfield assists in 2013.

As you can see from the video, Cabrera is quick as a hiccup, and has lightning-quick bat speed. His swing reminds me a lot of Alfonso Soriano, another Dominican who became one of the most feared power hitters in baseball during his prime.

Cabrera is also built very well. He stand about six-foot-one, while tipping the scales at 190 pounds, a build also reminiscent of Soriano. He’s got some broad shoulders, but his lower body looks like that of a sprinter. There’s still plenty of room to grow in his frame as well, and pack on more muscle to add more home run-power to his repertoire.

Another notable Giants’ 16-year-old international free agent signing is Pablo Sandoval. San Francisco signed the young catcher in 2003, and he made his professional debut in 2004 with the Arizona Rookie League, also as a 17-year-old.

Comparing Cabrera and Sandoval at the same age, they both took a similar number of at-bats, with Cabrera at 186, and Sandoval with 177. Sandoval bested the newcomer in average (.266 to .247), doubles (nine to seven), triples (five to four), and RBI (26 to 22). Cabrera topped Sandoval in home runs (two to zero), steals (21 to four) and on-base percentage (.379 to .287).

Most of the numbers for the two 17-year-old Domincans are very similar. They do have very different styles, however, which make the comparison somewhat invalid.

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Sandoval made his major league debut in 2008 at 22 years old, after five seasons as a minor leaguer. If Cabrera can follow the same trajectory, he will make his big league debut in 2018, which takes into account his missed season in 2014. However, if the tools remain the same for Cabrera, he could make quicker work of the minor leagues than Sandoval did.

Cabrera has yet to play professionally in the United States. If his return to action in late-2014 is any indication, he should be ready to make his way stateside in 2015, and finally make his mark on American soil. It’s important to remember that Cabrera isn’t even legal to drink yet. In fact, he only turned 19 this past January. Oh, to be young again.

Of course, everything may have changed for Cabrera. No one knows right now if Cabrera still has the same bat speed and raw power. No one knows if he can still throw guys out from center field on a regular basis. His career may have been altered forever by one singular moment. The only way to tell is for Cabrera to get back on the diamond under the watchful eye of Giants’ scouts.

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