Miguel Cabrera: The Chase to 500
Party like it’s 2016 because Miguel Cabrera is BACK! No? Too much? Okay, sorry, I’m excited.
Miguel Cabrera contributed in both games of the Saturday doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins, and he finally seems to be getting back in the groove of things.
He’s decimated the ball in his last seven games, hitting .476 with an OPS of 1.027. He even smacked an oppo-field home run off Tyler Duffey in the bottom of the 5th to break the 2-2 tie and ultimately give the Tigers a 4-2 win in game two.
Miguel’s 375-foot blast brought his career total to 482, just 18 away from the big 500.
If you had asked me in 2016 when he’d get to that exclusive figure, I’d probably have told you by the end of 2018 without a doubt. After the ’16 season, the two-time MVP sat at 446 dingers with no slowing down in sight.
In September of 2016, he pulverized a whopping ten home runs and batted .347. But injuries ravaged his next few seasons, hindered his career, and 500 turned from a guarantee to a mere hope.
The 11-time all-star hit just a combined 31 homers in the 2017-2019 seasons.
But 2020 seems to be a little different. Although Cabrera’s average doesn’t show it, the former Triple Crown winner looks healthier and more energetic and can see the light at the end of the “500” tunnel.
In a regular 162-game season, Miguel would be on pace for about 26 home runs, so number 500 is definitely possible during the next season.
If Cabrera can maintain his current rate for the rest of 2020, he would be at 486 by the season’s end. If that pace rolls over to next season, we could see Miggy hit the target number around the 4th of July.
So to celebrate, we all might have to buy some extra fireworks, just in case.
