Detroit Tigers: Miguel Cabrera’s most memorable moments

Miguel Cabrera the Ballplayer

Miguel Cabrera isn’t a great defensive player, at least by MLB standards, but that’s almost entirely because of his sheer size. He’s a heck of a lot more athletic than he looks, with good hands, a very strong arm, and terrific instincts. And of course his enthusiasm. Miguel Cabrera would play shortstop today if they let him, and he’d probably make 3-4 diving attempts.

There probably isn’t one signature play for Cabrera on defense, but it’s worth looking back at some of his finer efforts to remind us how talented he is as an overall ballplayer.

This is just a small sample, of course. We can scrub Baseball Savant, but it’s hard to find video of Cabrera’s best defensive plays prior to 2016. However, some kind soul put together a collection of his

top defensive efforts from 2014

, if you’re so inclined.

Miggy the Speed Demon

Miguel Cabrera is one of the slowest runners in baseball, but he’ll get you if you aren’t paying attention. Maybe it’s because he fancies himself a speedster, or maybe it’s just hard for a freight train to hit the brakes, but no one blows through a stop sign as frequently as Miggy.

Miguel Cabrera has 39 stolen bases in his career, but just one since 2015. He’s also 3-for-3 on steal attempts in the postseason. It’s possible he won’t steal another base as a big leaguer, so let’s enjoy his last swipe, from September of last year: