Detroit Tigers veteran Miguel Cabrera has more than 500 career home runs and didn’t hit fewer than 25 in any season from 2004 to 2014.
His name is associated with greatness, with historic achievements and MVP-like performances over the last 20 years.
Still, it’s pretty clear he is on the decline and has been for a while.
He hasn’t surpassed a .750 OPS since 2019, and is at .572 this season.
Back in the day, that could be his slugging percentage (he actually slugged much more than that in his peak, between 2010 and 2013).
This year, however, he didn’t have any home runs… until Wednesday.
Against none other than Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider, Cabrera turned back the clock and sent an inside pitch to the left field stands for his first round-tripper of the season.
He celebrated as he rounded the bases and then put on a show in the dugout.
There is NOTHING sweeter than a @MiguelCabrera home run! pic.twitter.com/GgRwi9cFLZ
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 14, 2023
It’s good to see Cabrera producing and smiling.
In what has been a poor offensive season for the former Triple Crown winner, it’s always nice to see him flashing the power that once made him elite and that will make him, in all likelihood, a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.
The Tigers recently put an end to a nine-game losing skid that has their record at 27-37, and it doesn’t look like they will contend this year.
The 2023 campaign will probably be more about giving Cabrera a proper farewell.
He carried the Tigers since the organization acquired him in 2008 and until 2016.
In 2017, his performance started to fall off, but he gave the franchise so much that he is a beloved part of their past and present.
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