Then & Now: Daniel Cabrera

THEN DEC 2014: A major impact type talent with a 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame, Cabrera has already made plenty of noise on the Louisiana High School baseball scene. On the mound, he displays a loose whippy arm, with the ball exploding out of the hand with little effort, pitches 84-87 touching 88. In addition to the fastball he shows a quality breaking ball with 11/5 shape, tight spin, and plus depth. Shows an advanced feel and command for the baseball. Left-handed hitter with smooth swing, extraordinary rhythm, timing and presence at the plate. Consistently barrels balls at an eye-opening rate, with strength at contact, and backspin. Hits to all fields, swings and misses rarely, and has present pull-side power.  Smooth athlete with good defensive instincts and tracking speed. The game almost seems to slow for him at times.

NOW 2020: Cabrera put together a strong summer in the Cape (.287/.369/.400) following a solid sophomore spring for LSU (.284/.359/.516 with 12 home runs in 256 plate appearances). He even improved his speed over the summer and fall, getting clocked at 6.6 seconds in the 60-yard dash, and impressed the LSU coaching staff with his improved jumps, routes and range in the outfield last fall. He also showed he could play a capable center field, though he profiles best as a hitting machine on a corner, and his thicker lower half doesn't lend itself to a long-term speed profile. He's a capable corner outfielder with above-average arm strength and good carry. Cabrera was off to a torrid start in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, hitting .345/.466/.500 with two homers, six steals, and more walks (14) than strikeouts (12). The lefty-swinging outfielder has excellent hands at the plate and generates above-average raw power with good hips and natural loft through his fluid swing. He creates moderate length through his load and easily overcomes it with good bat speed and excellent feel for the barrel. His top exit velocity this spring was 102.6 mph with an average of 92.5 with an average launch angle of 12 degrees. All the pieces are in place for a future above-average power bat with a solid on-base profile and hit tool. He projects to go in the first round this summer and will likely sign, as he's physically and mentally ready to play at the next level.