Map of all Miguel Cabrera’s hits as a Detroit Tiger is a work of art

Upon reaching his 3,000th hit, MLB showed a spray chart of Miguel Cabrera’s hits as a Detroit Tiger

Slugger and living Detroit Tiger legend Miguel Cabrera recently reached his 3,000th hit, and upon doing so, it has offered the opportunity for everyone to reflect on his career and accomplishments. From congratulatory videos from Mike Trout and Justin Verlander, to the rumored White Sox trade back in 2007, to clubhouse toasts in the Detroit Tigers locker room, it portrays his importance to the Detroit Tigers and the game overall across the last 20 seasons.

Beyond his sheer talent, Cabrera’s longevity and willingness to play through injuries are a couple of major reasons why he was able to achieve such greatness. Part of it too, though, was Cabrera’s ability to use the entire field and use it to his advantage.

Major League Baseball did some reflecting of their own after Cabrera reached hit 3,000 and celebrated with a spray chart, which showed all of Cabrera’s hits as a Detroit Tiger over the last 14-plus seasons. It is exactly as one would expect:

It is unusual to find a player that is willing to use the whole field so consistently in the first place, but when factoring in the extra-base power he has showcased throughout the years to all fields, it adds to the impression he has made.

In 2022, Cabrera has continued to find his hits and is currently second on the team in batting average (.319) to outfielder Austin Meadows (.333). Cabrera is still working to find his power stroke, though. Despite being in the 69th percentile of the league for average exit velocity, Cabrera has just two extra-base hits on the season and is still searching for his first home run after 53 plate appearances.

Cabrera’s next double will be his 600th, and his 601st will tie him with Barry Bonds for 17th all-time and just two away from Cal Ripken Jr. for 16th. It’s a possibility Cabrera could find himself perched behind Hank Aaron on the all-time list by the end of the season, who is 13th all-time with 624 doubles.