What comes to mind when you think of Miguel Cabrera? Depends on when you’re thinking of him. A year ago; abusive husband or drunk. Today; MVP. It’s time to readjust the way we think of Miguel Cabrera. We all remember the equation that took place last year. Alcohol plus wife equals jail—no further details necessary. Once you gain notoriety like that, it’s hard to shake. Unless you make a complete 360 like Miggy has and start raking. If you can put up the numbers like he has so far this season, it’s amazing how forgiving fans and an organization can be.
Forget MVP. Triple Crown is more fitting for Cabrera and his numbers so far. For the majority of the season, he’s been amongst the league leaders in most offensive categories. Through Tuesday, Cabrera leads the majors in runs batted in (88) and slugging (.647). He’s second in the majors in batting average (.349) only behind the scorching hot Josh Hamilton (.358). He’s also second in OBP (.420) behind former MVP Justin Morneau (.437). He’s crushed 24 homers as well. He has put up big numbers like this his entire career. The only season he knocked in less than 100 runs was his rookie year, where he only played in 87 games. He still managed 62 RBIs, which means he probably would have had over 100 with a full season. It’s safe to say that Cabrera is an offensive juggernaut, since he is a 6’4, 255 pound hitter with opposite field power. He flat out rakes. He is certainly going to keep his Tigers—who are only 4 games out of first place—in the running for the playoffs.
So we know that Cabrera is capable of producing the big numbers. He has shown us that this season and all of his previous seasons. He’s practically a machine. The difference between Miguel of 2010 and Miguel of every year before that is he has grown and changed for the better. That one incident that occurred last year has put his life in perspective. Since being clean and alcohol-free, his teammates and almost everyone else has seen a drastic change. His manager, for instance, has noticed that he always has a “happy face”. Teammates Brandon Inge and Brennan Boesch have been quoted saying he is a “part of the great chemistry” and a “friend and leader”, respectively. It is evident that if you can enjoy the game you’re playing and are happy with your personal life, you’re more likely to have better numbers and be an all-around better player.
Miguel is destined for greatness. I can rant and rave about his numbers all day. The fact that he is so good and has been hot all season is helping build his case for MVP. What is most impressive though is his amazing metamorphosis. His previous behavior was intolerable and immature. The only reason it was tolerated was because his numbers bailed him out. Cabrera is one of the best in the league right now, and he will be for a long time. At seasons’ end, don’t be surprised if he gets the title of MVP, or even Triple Crown.
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He’s a stud it’s rough seeing him come up against our BP pitchers.