Two years ago the Cincinnati Reds went big and signed infielder Ricardo Cabrera out of Venezuela. They gave him a big signing bonus and he was arguably the top prospect in the international class in all of baseball.
Four months later the games started and things went about as poorly as possible in the first month. During June of 2022 he hit .120 with just two extra-base hits, and he struck out 19 times in 62 plate appearances.
When the calendar flipped over to July it was like a light switch went off for the then 17-year-old. Over the next (and final) two months of the season, Ricardo Cabrera hit .314/.403/.461 with 10 extra-base hits and 21 strikeouts in 120 plate appearances. He began to make contact at a good rate and show power.
That carried forward into 2023 when he moved up from the Dominican Summer League to the Arizona Complex League. In 39 games last season he hit .350/.469/.559 out in Arizona before getting called up for the final week of the season in Daytona where he hit .316/.519/.316.
This season Cabrera is out to a good start while being back in Daytona. While he’s only hitting .250 thus far, he’s walked as often as he’s struck out – leading to a .438 on-base percentage. And he’s flashed a bit of power, too, hitting two doubles and a home run through the first seven games of the season.
Since signing there have been some questions about exactly where Cabrera winds up on the defensive spectrum. Not many think he’s going to stick at shortstop and will have to slide to third base full time sooner rather than later. This season he’s only made one start at short with six more over at third – including the game in the morning on Wednesday. What there haven’t been very many questions about is just how well he’s hit and the projections about his bat. He’s performed and he’s performed well. Through the first 97 games of his career he’s hit .298/.424/.458 – good for an OPS of .882.
Cam Collier keeps it going
Last night in Dayton Cam Collier homered in the Dragons win. The home run was his only hit of the night but it also extended his hit streak to 11 games, dating back to 2023. For the infielder, the home run gave him three on the season. He only had six of them last season. The Florida State League, where he played in 2023, is known to sap power, but the Midwest League – particularly early in the season – isn’t exactly hitter friendly.
And its GONE! Home Run by Cam Collier ??#feelthefire pic.twitter.com/Yb6WwTA9xb
— Dayton Dragons (@DragonsBaseball) April 17, 2024
It’s been an interesting start to the season for Collier. He’s hitting .342 and he’s slugging .605. But he’s also walked just one time. That’s more likely to happen when you’re hitting everything, and given his history of walking at a good rate, will likely improve as the season goes along.