Prospects in baseball are a unique bunch when compared to other sports. In the NFL and NBA drafts, teams see the immediate impact of the players they draft. In baseball, it usually takes a few years for teams to see the results of the draft. This does lead to some surprises in later rounds, like the Los Angeles Angels‘ number 110 pick in the 2015 MLB draft Trey Cabbage. In AAA Salt Lake, he has a slash line of .298/.383/.998 (average/OBP/OPS). Trey Cabbage is doing well in the spotlight and has become an excellent prospect in the last few years, and is making noise in the Angels system.
13th homer of the year for @treycabbage
Bees lead 2-0 pic.twitter.com/aYvsUzMfey— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) May 26, 2023
Angels Prospect Trey Cabbage Profile
The Short 2022 Season
There was something in the water in Rocket City last year because that team was insane from top to bottom. All the prospects were either playing up to their potential or well above it. The team as a whole won the first half of the season and made a deep run in the postseason. Cabbage only played in 30 games that season due to a fractured forearm from a full-speed collision with a runner on the field in Pensacola. It would be his final appearance for the Trash Pandas.
Cabbage was on fire in the five weeks leading up to his season-ending injury. Hitting 10 home runs, driving in 32, stealing 10 bases, and scoring 21 runs in 30 games to lead the Southern League in home runs and RBI through the season’s first month. It was incredibly unfortunate for a guy looking like he had turned a corner in his career. This probably left a lot of what-ifs, considering the number of injuries the Angels had all season. Cabbage’s ability to play both corner outfielder positions, plus first base, would have been a massive gain for the Angels.
2022 could be the season that allowed Cabbage to get that cup of coffee at the Major League level. To put the small sample size into perspective, up to that point, his best year in the minor leagues was between two levels, AA and high A, with a line of .264/.346/.881 with 27 home runs and 82 RBI. If he had stayed healthy, Cabbage would likely have surpassed those numbers.
2023 Continuing The Success
If everyone is honest, looking at what was expected of Trey Cabbage this season was probably one of just depth and maybe a trade piece. What has happened at AAA Salt Lake has been a welcome surprise. The Pacific Coast League is known to be a league led by offense so the numbers can be inflated. The numbers Cabbage has put up at AAA up to this point are good. In 45 games, he is slashing .298/.383/.997. Along with 13 home runs and 30 rbi.
With those numbers and the injuries the Angels have had early on, some wondered if Cabbage would get a shot early in the season. With some of the signings made as depth changed, the order of the outfielders changed. It made Cabbage arguably the third outfielder to be called up if they needed it, but if they need a first baseman, he’d probably get a shot in theory.
Outlook For Trey
Projecting how guys will perform is a daunting task. Injuries can occur, trades can happen, etcetera, etcetera. There are a lot of outside variables that can get in the way of how a prospect will get used in their organization. Usually, continual production can force the hand of the team to give prospects at least a chance to prove themselves.
That said, Cabbage will probably get a shot to play in Anaheim sometime during the season. His offensive production looks increasingly like it won’t be just a flash in the pan. There were calls for him to get a chance when Jared Walsh was down to begin the season.
All in all, the Angels found an excellent prospect who was released by the club that drafted him. A guy at 26 has plenty of baseball prime left in his career. At this point, it is a matter of time before he gets to prove himself against the best in the world. Based on the numbers he has been putting up as of late, he will probably stick as extra depth to give a rest day to the starters during the long stretches without an off day. That day is definitely coming soon.
Main photo credits:
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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