Miguel Cabrera hints that the season’s grind could affect plans for 2023

Miguel Cabrera hints that the grind could take him to the end of the matchdays

Detroit Tigers designated racket Miguel Cabrera is one of if not the, the most feared right-hander of this generation, that’s out of the question. Sure, Albert Pujols deserves a mention in the conversation, but nobody’s been a more complete hitter than Miggy in the last 20 years or so.

The 39-year-old Cabrera is currently in his 20th season in the major leagues, a feat rarely seen in today’s game. He told it recently Eva Petzold from Detroit FreePress that his playing time could soon be coming to an end as the daily grind catches up with him.

Tigers: Miguel Cabrera may make decision to retire soon

Cabrera is currently one of the oldest players in the league and currently ranks 11th on the list of oldest active players.

A surefire Hall of Famer when all is said and done, it’s no surprise that over 2,675 games and 11,000 plate appearances are beginning to catch up with the veteran. From 2008 to 2016, he had arguably the most dominant streak the game has ever seen.

In that time alone, Miggy hit 308 homers, batted 1,030 and had a 161 OPS+, which is all just crazy talk. Not to mention the fact that over those nine seasons he had a .325 batting average, twice won the AL MVP, and won the game’s first Triple Crown since the late 1960s.

The list of accolades for Cabrera goes on and on. Aside from all trophies, he is a member of the exclusive 3,000 hit club and 500 home run club. He’ll eventually get close to the elusive 2,000 RBI club, but will likely call it a career before reaching the goal as he’s still 160 RBI away.

In the last few seasons, Cabrera has started to show his age quite a bit. In 2017, just one season after hitting 38 homers and a .316 batting average and 155 OPS+, he managed to play in just 130 games, hit 16 home runs and hit 93 OPS+, the lowest of his career up to that point.

Injuries have started to gnaw at the aging legend as he has missed time since the 2017 season due to a host of injuries. In 2017, it was a combination of back stiffness, groin strains and herniated discs in his back that limited him to just 130 games. In 2018, it was a combination of hamstring strains and bicep injuries. You understand it.

In what may be his last season in the Bigs, Miggy had the honor be selected for the All-Star Game one last time In addition to Pujols, Commissioner Rob Manfred was able to cater for this year’s competition thanks to the Legend Picks. This was the 12th ASG selection of Cabrera’s eventful career and has been one of the biggest feel-good moments of the year so far.

If this is the final season of his career, Miguel Cabrera will come out as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Regardless of the signs of his aging and declining endurance, he gave his best every day and will forever be one of the most respected and loved players to ever play the game.