It had been 45 years since Carl Yastrzemski and the last Triple Crown to be achieved in baseball when Miguel Cabrera reached the feat for the Detroit Tigers in 2012. Incredibly, he is having an even better season in 2013 and just might reach that staggering mark for the second consecutive year. If he can hit a few more home runs, and get Chris ‘Crush’ Davis to slow down a bit, Cabrera could find himself in even more rarefied air.
With all of the accomplishments that Cabrera has had in Detroit, it is easy to forget that his career started with the then-Florida Marlins a decade ago. While he has always been an impressive hitter, his career didn’t hit another gear until he landed in Motor City. In the last four seasons, he has only had one with an OPS of under 1.000, and that was in the Triple Crown year of 2012 when he posted a .999!
What makes Cabrera such a standout at the plate? Well, just about everything. He hits for power to all fields, walks almost as much as he strikes out, and seems to come through in the clutch time after time. It surely doesn’t hurt that he has an excellent supporting cast around him in the Tigers lineup, but Cabrera could hit like a Hall of Famer on an island by himself. Considering that he is only 30 years of age currently, the numbers that he could theoretically end up with might place him as the best right handed hitter of all time. Those are big words, but that is just how good Mr. Cabrera has become in recent years.
The Early Years
In terms of collectibles, it stands to reason that his early days Florida Marlins memorabilia will be the most desired products on the market. In the last few years, Cabrera has been a superstar and his likeness has been everywhere. However, he flew somewhat under the radar with the Marlins even though they won the World Series in his rookie year. Those early cards, autographs, and more could find themselves to be worth a great deal as his career continues to he eventually ends up in Cooperstown.
The Future is Bright
Where will Miguel Cabrera head from here? There is no way to know, but nothing seems impossible for this guy. Could he hit .400 in a full season? That would seem absurd for a man with his kind of raw power, but then again he is hitting a career best .360 at the moment with no signs of slowing down. I wouldn’t bet on a .400 season from Cabrera – but then again, I wouldn’t have bet on back to back Triple Crowns, and that just might happen.
For Miguel Cabrera fans and collectors, finding early years pieces will be the best way to build value in a collection and round out the whole picture of his career. He spent almost five full seasons in Florida before moving on to Detroit, yet his time with the Tigers is what will make him a legend. Make sure to find a good selection of Florida Marlins collectibles to go with your Tigers collection and you will have a Cabrera collection worth bragging about.
