Miguel Cabrera shockingly erased from quarter century list and here is why
Detroit Tigers legend and one of baseball's greatest hitters, Miguel Cabrera, was shockingly omitted from The Athletic's All-Quarter Century team announced on May 22. It was a Hall of Fame-worthy resume with more than 3,000 hits and 500 home runs that failed to include Cabrera among the 15 players.
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Though Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, two of the Tigers' former stars, were included, Cabrera's name was not on the list prompting many raised eyebrows in the baseball community. So why was this great player omitted?
Miguel Cabrera's career statistics were legendary, but positions kept holding him back
Miguel Cabrera's numbers at the plate position him as one of baseball's all-time greats. He was an All-Star twelve times and a power hitter in his prime years. But as for Jayson Stark's All-Quarter Century team which featured eight position players, five starters, a closer, and one designated hitter Cabrera wasn't included. Why not?
They constructed the team by position, and that hurt him.
Cabrera had more than 100 games at four positions: first base, third base, left field, and right field. He also spent a huge portion of his later years as a DH. That might serve a team well, but for a list such as this, it blurred where he mattered.
First base, initially, was won by Albert Pujols, arguably the best to occupy the position of his greatness at the position. Third base saw Adrian Beltre's excellent defense and similar offense usurp Cabrera's place.
As a DH, Cabrera's later stats were not good enough to compete with Edgar Martínez or David Ortiz types. Outfield? Not when legends like Mike Trout and Barry Bonds were in the mix.
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Miguel Cabrera's defense played a role in snub
Another reason Miguel Cabrera probably was omitted? Defense. Although he played several different positions, Miguel Cabrera wasn't exactly revered for his glove. His defensive statistics, including Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), were well below average.
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At the same time, Beltre, winner of five Gold Gloves and owner of 200 career DRS played elite defense. Add to that 3,166 hits and 477 home runs, and the case for Beltré becomes overwhelming. If Miguel Cabrera was an elite fielder or decidedly superior at the plate, he might have had a more compelling case. But his all-around competition passed him by.
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