Melky Cabrera Becoming a Fantasy Star

August 16, 2007 @ 14:26:44

By KFFL Staff
Edited by Ryan Dodson

New York Yankees outfielder Melky Cabrera has been hitting extremely well lately, highlighted by an 18-game hitting streak that ended Aug. 14. Cabrera is batting .352 with four home runs and 21 RBI since the All-Star break. Heading into the season, playing time was a concern for Cabrera, but with the way he has been playing, the Yankees can't bench him. He has not missed a game since the All-Star break.

Cabrera recently turned 23 years old, so he still has some room to grow. He shows promise to be a multi-category player, although he likely won't dominate in any one area. Overall, he is batting .297 with eight home runs, 52 RBI and 10 stolen bases this season. While he isn't a power hitter, he is a smart batter who knows how to drive batters in.

Cabrera has worked primarily at center field and has displayed great fielding ability. While most leagues don't count defensive statistics at all, this increases his value in those that do. He has committed only two errors all season. He is also known for his strong arm. Even for leagues that don't use defense, this means it will be hard for the Yankees to keep him out of the lineup.

One of Cabrera's best qualities is that he has already become a disciplined player. He doesn't strike out too often, with only 43 strikeouts in 394 at-bats this year. He has also shown discipline by waiting for the right opportunities to steal bases. He doesn't take unnecessary risks as a base stealer and has been caught stealing only twice this year.

As a rookie last year, Cabrera was able to maintain his high level of play throughout most of the year but was slowed down in the last month. In September, he batted .247 with no home runs, nine RBI and 10 runs scored. While it's possible this will happen again, it shouldn't be expected since he has shown more maturity.

The Yankees have grown attached to Cabrera because of his talent and the improvement he has shown. He has impressed Yankees management so much that general manager Brian Cashman turned down a trade from the Texas Rangers for relief pitcher Eric Gagne, despite the other options the Yankees have in the outfield. This shows how highly Cabrera is valued by the team.

Fantasy Impact

Cabrera is a player to target as a free agent if he's still available. He is owned in roughly 42 percent of leagues polled. With the way he has been playing, Cabrera is good enough to be a starter for most fantasy teams. He likely won't play at that level through the entire season, but even when he comes off his current hot streak, he should be productive enough to serve as a reliable backup outfielder. With the Yankees' lineup, which has been hitting very well lately, Cabrera will see plenty of RBI opportunities, so he is a useful addition for owners seeking help there. He can also contribute a fairly high batting average as well as the occasional home run or stolen base. At 23 years old, he should continue to do this and possibly more for a number of years, which makes him especially valuable in keeper leagues.

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