The Yankees had plenty of money set aside in 2017 for Shohei Ohtani, but when he signed with the Angels, they spent their money on a pair of Venezuelan position players. Antonio Cabello signed with New York for $1.35 million. He was signed as a catcher, but prior to making his professional debut, he began the shift to the outfield, due in large part to his athleticism. He made his debut in 2018 and looks like he could move through the system quickly for someone as young as he is.
Name: Antonio Cabello Birthdate: November 1, 2000 Position: Outfield Bat/Throw: R/R Height: 5’10 Weight: 160
Cabello started in the Dominican Summer League, but after just one week the Yankees had seen enough to bring the seventeen year old to the States, where he made 40 appearances for the Yankees West GCL team. Overall, Cabello hit .308/.427/.522 in his first year of professional baseball. He had 21 RBIs, five homers, four triples, and nine doubles. He swiped ten bags and got caught stealing six times.
The Yankees got a player with a strong, athletic build. He is an aggressive hitter, though he has good pitch recognition. Off-speed pitches can trip him up, but he is still very young with a lot of raw power. He has gap power, though his power could increase as he matures.
Cabello has some good speed, one of the reasons the Yankees moved him from behind the plate and into the outfield. He has been playing center field, but is still learning his routes. He has an average arm and should become an average defender. His athleticism helps him make up for his poor reads, particularly on hits directly overhead. He likely will move to one of the corners eventually. Overall, he is an exciting player who has a lot of potential and should be fun to watch as he works his way up the ladder.
