Edward Cabrera

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #4 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Cabrera signed with the Marlins for $100,000 in 2015 and broke out with a big year in 2019. Injuries to his back and biceps limited him each of the past two seasons, but he still earned his first callup to the majors in 2021 and made seven starts down the stretch. He struggled to a 5.81 ERA with 19 walks in 26.1 innings in his debut, but his pure stuff was encouraging nonetheless.
  
  Scouting Report: Cabrera’s biggest weapon is his fastball, which sits in the upper 90s, and can be even more effective with improved command. If he can throw more quality strikes with his heater, his upside will become more attainable. Already armed with a three-pitch mix of a fastball, curveball and changeup, Cabrera began working on a slider this year in Triple-A. The average pitch features short, sweeping break in the upper 80s and served as a fine complement to his plus, low-80s, downer curveball. Both breaking pitches take a backseat to his hard changeup, which averages 93 mph. At its best, the changeup shows late fade life away from lefties and is deceptive because of the conviction with which he throws it. Cabrera relied heavily on his offspeeds in Triple-A, where he threw his fastball just 26% of the time.
  
  The Future: Cabrera has mid-rotation potential, but he needs to sharpen his command and fringe-average control to reach that ceiling. He’ll likely begin the 2022 season back in Triple-A for more seasoning.
  
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #5 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 70. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins signed Cabrera for $100,000 in 2015. He progressed steadily and broke out in 2019, when he went 9-4, 2.23 with 116 strikeouts and 31 walks in 96.2 innings while climbing to Double-A. Cabrera was a candidate to make his major league debut in 2020 but dealt with arm and back injuries that halted a potential callup.
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cabrera’s main weapon is a double-plus, upper-90s fastball with solid sink that can touch 100 mph. That power pitch helped him induce a 49.5% groundball rate at Double-A and prevents batters from making hard contact in the air. Cabrera’s main secondary is a plus curveball with added depth that has become a solid swing-and-miss pitch. The key to proving himself as a starter will be the development of his changeup, which has showed improved separation from his fastball. Cabrera walked more than three batters per nine innings in Double-A in 2019 and must improve his control, but he has shown an improved, repeatable delivery.
  THE FUTURE: Cabrera has a high ceiling that could make him anywhere from a No. 2 to No. 4 starter, depending on how he commands his secondary pitches. He should start 2021 at Triple-A with a chance for a quick callup.
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #4 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: A $100,000 signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, Cabrera had a breakout campaign in 2019. After showing an exciting arsenal with inconsistent results in his first three seasons, Cabrera ranked as best righthanded pitching prospect in the Florida State League. He reached Double-A Jacksonville in mid-June and struck out a career best 116 batters and allowed a .190 average in a combined 96.2 innings over the two stops.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cabrera has a heavy, mid-90s fastball with sink that has reached as high as 100 mph. While his fastball has seemingly always had the makings of a double-plus pitch and has only continued to improve, it was the development of Cabrera's breaking ball and changeup that has helped him become a more well-rounded pitcher. Though still firm at 88-90 mph, Cabrera's changeup brings enough separation from his fastball to keep hitters off-balance, while his low- 80s breaking ball has both the tilt and depth necessary to be a swing-and-miss pitch. An athletic 6-foot-4, Cabrera's delivery can speed up at times, but he still managed to improve his control and walked fewer than three batters per nine innings in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sixto Sanchez is the only pitching prospect in the Marlins' system with as high a ceiling as Cabrera, and even that gap might have closed slightly in 2019. Cabrera will likely begin the 2020 season back at Double-A Jacksonville, with a midseason move to Triple-A probable if he performs well.
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #8 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Cabrera signed for $100,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, which is so far proving to be a steal for the Marlins. After spending time in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2016 and pitching at short-season Batavia in 2017, Cabrera got his first taste of full-season ball in the low Class A South Atlantic League in 2018.
  
  Scouting Report: Cabrera is similar to fellow Marlins righthanders Sandy Alcantara and Jorge Guzman in that he showcases a high-velocity fastball that has cleared the 100 mph mark. Standing at a lean 6-foot-4, Cabrera's plus fastball most regularly sits in the mid-90s as a starter with good, late life in the zone. He has a potential plus breaking ball and is working on a changeup that flashes plus at times but remains inconsistent. Like Guzman, Cabrera still needs to work on controlling his high-powered arsenal. His walk rate increased to roughly 3.8 walks per nine innings in 2018.
  
  The Future: After spending the entirety of his age-20 season in low Class A, Cabrera will move to high Class A Jupiter in 2019. His ceiling is no lower than that of a mid-rotation starter, though he, like Guzman, could conceivably end up as a late-inning, power reliever.
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #13 prospect in 2018
  One of five international players the Marlins signed for $100,000 in 2015, Cabrera is on track to outperform his signing bonus. At short-season Batavia in 2017, he stuck out 32 batters in 35.2 innings as an 18-year old. After throwing several innings in extended spring training, Cabrera pitched just 35 innings, which included several relief appearances to monitor his innings. The tall, lean Cabrera reached the mid-90s in 2016, then took a big step forward in 2017, when he topped out at 101 mph. His typical fastball range is 94-96 mph as a starter. His plus fastball is paired with a hard slider that flashes plus at times and showcases good tilt. Cabrera has also been working on a changeup, which currently comes across a tad firm but shows the potential to be at least average. He shows above-average control. In a system that has taken high school pitchers in the first round in recent years, it's Cabrera who might have the most upside. He should see his first action in full-season ball in 2018.
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #7 prospect in 2017
  Cabrera was one of five players the Marlins signed for $100,000 in July 2015. He trained with Ramon Genao, who also trained the Marlins' most expensive signee of that class, outfielder Mario Prenza, who received $550,000. While Prenza reported to the Dominican Summer League and hit .136 in 2016, Cabrera followed an impressive showing at instructional league with a jump to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League for his pro debut. Cabrera has a tall, projectable frame and has already seen his stuff tick up since he signed. He touched 94 mph in 2016 and sat 92-93 with his fastball, and he can cut and run it in to righthanded batters. Evaluators project he could add more velocity to his fastball as he fills out physically. His slider flashes plus with good tilt, and his firm changeup, while currently below-average, flashes promise. As with most teenagers, Cabrera has some mechanical adjustments to make. For instance, he doesn't get enough extension over his front leg. Cabrera was one of the most sought-after players in the Marlins system as the organization went shopping for pitching help at the 2016 trade deadline. He shows uncommon poise for his age, and one evaluator said his stuff compares favorably with former Marlins farmhand (and current Astros No. 1 prospect) Francis Martes at the same age. Cabrera projects as a midrotation starter and should make his full-season debut in 2017.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Florida State League #6 prospect in 2019
  The Marlins’ system has gone from barren to bursting over the last year, and Cabrera has quickly shot himself into the higher end of the next wave of talent to hit south Florida. He tore up both high Class A Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville with a projectable frame, a quick arm and a heavy fastball that sits in the mid-90s and regularly reaches a few ticks higher. His breaking ball and changeup each project as plus, and he’s done an excellent jump refining his command and control. As proof, he’s lowered his walks per nine innings from 3.8 in 2018 to 2.8 in 2019. There’s still a bit of refinement to come, with some scouts wanting to see more consistency in the rhythm and repetition of his delivery to help him take the next step. Sixto Sanchez still sits above Cabrera on the Marlins’ depth chart, but Cabrera isn’t far behind and has a ceiling nearly as high.
• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #15 prospect in 2018
  Marlins 2017 first-round pick Trevor Rogers is more promising than his 5.82 ERA would indicate, but it was Cabrera who established himself as the Grasshoppers' most promising starting pitching prospect. He has an excellent 6-foot-4 frame and can be dominating at his best. He's just wildly inconsistent at this point. Cabrera has a potentially plus 93-96 mph fastball that touches the upper 90s. It has excellent sink and arm-side run when he's on top of it. His 89-90 mph changeup gives him a second potentially plus offering. It has solid deception and plenty of late tumble to miss bats. Cabrera's slider is far behind his other two pitches. He'll have to improve it to avoid eventually moving to the bullpen. His control is more promising than his 3.77 walks-per-nine nine innings would indicate, but it is fringe-average at this point and needs to improve. Getting all his stuff to play will take time, but Cabrera's power fastball and plus changeup are a promising foundation.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #69 prospect in 2022
• Ranked Baseball America's #81 prospect in 2021
• Ranked Baseball America's #68 prospect in 2020

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Midseason Update: Cabrera showed what he was capable of over the course of a few big league starts but ultimately got hit by the injury bug again. He&#39s been on the IL since June 15 with right elbow tendinitis.
  
  Track Record: Cabrera has long been one of the best pitching prospects in the Miami system. He signed for $100,000 in 2015, then put himself on the map with a big year in 2019. Injuries to his back and biceps have limited him in each of the past two seasons, but he showed enough in the minors this year to earn a seven-start callup to the big leagues. With the Marlins, Cabrera&#39s control and command showed they needed a bit more polish, but the pure stuff was encouraging enough to project as a long-term piece of Miami&#39s rotation.
  
  Scouting Report: Cabrera&#39s biggest weapon is his fastball, which sits in the upper 90s, but could be even more effective with improved command. If he can throw more quality strikes with his heater, his upside will become more attainable. Already armed with a three-pitch mix of fastball, curveball and changeup, Cabrera began working on a slider this year in Triple-A. The pitch features short, sweeping break in the upper-80s and served as a fine complement to his low-80s, downer curveball. Both breaking pitches take a backseat to his changeup, which settled in at an average of 93 mph. At its best, the changeup shows late fade life away from lefties and is deceptive because of the conviction with which it is thrown. Cabrera relied heavily on his offspeeds in Triple-A, where he threw his fastball just 26% of the time.
  
  The Future: Cabrera has plenty of upside to pitch in the middle of a rotation, but he needs to sharpen his command and fringe-average control to reach that ceiling. He learned that lesson against big league hitters, who reached him for hard contact and walks in the late stages of the season. He&#39ll likely head back to Triple-A for more seasoning.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 60. Slider: 50 Changeup: 50. Control: 45.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Cabrera signed with the Marlins for $100,000 in 2015 and broke out with a big year in 2019. Injuries to his back and biceps limited him each of the past two seasons, but he still earned his first callup to the majors in 2021 and made seven starts down the stretch. He struggled to a 5.81 ERA with 19 walks in 26.1 innings in his debut, but his pure stuff was encouraging nonetheless.
  
  Scouting Report: Cabrera’s biggest weapon is his fastball, which sits in the upper 90s, and can be even more effective with improved command. If he can throw more quality strikes with his heater, his upside will become more attainable. Already armed with a three-pitch mix of a fastball, curveball and changeup, Cabrera began working on a slider this year in Triple-A. The average pitch features short, sweeping break in the upper 80s and served as a fine complement to his plus, low-80s, downer curveball. Both breaking pitches take a backseat to his hard changeup, which averages 93 mph. At its best, the changeup shows late fade life away from lefties and is deceptive because of the conviction with which he throws it. Cabrera relied heavily on his offspeeds in Triple-A, where he threw his fastball just 26% of the time.
  
  The Future: Cabrera has mid-rotation potential, but he needs to sharpen his command and fringe-average control to reach that ceiling. He’ll likely begin the 2022 season back in Triple-A for more seasoning.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins signed Cabrera for $100,000 in 2015. He progressed steadily and broke out in 2019, when he went 9-4, 2.23 with 116 strikeouts and 31 walks in 96.2 innings while climbing to Double-A. Cabrera was a candidate to make his major league debut in 2020 but dealt with arm and back injuries that halted a potential callup.
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cabrera's main weapon is a double-plus, upper-90s fastball with solid sink that can touch 100 mph. That power pitch helped him induce a 49.5% groundball rate at Double-A and prevents batters from making hard contact in the air. Cabrera's main secondary is a plus curveball with added depth that has become a solid swing-and-miss pitch. The key to proving himself as a starter will be the development of his changeup, which has showed improved separation from his fastball. Cabrera walked more than three batters per nine innings in Double-A in 2019 and must improve his control, but he has shown an improved, repeatable delivery.
  THE FUTURE: Cabrera has a high ceiling that could make him anywhere from a No. 2 to No. 4 starter, depending on how he commands his secondary pitches. He should start 2021 at Triple-A with a chance for a quick callup.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins signed Cabrera for $100,000 in 2015. He progressed steadily and broke out in 2019, when he went 9-4, 2.23 with 116 strikeouts and 31 walks in 96.2 innings while climbing to Double-A. Cabrera was a candidate to make his major league debut in 2020 but dealt with arm and back injuries that halted a potential callup.
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cabrera’s main weapon is a double-plus, upper-90s fastball with solid sink that can touch 100 mph. That power pitch helped him induce a 49.5% groundball rate at Double-A and prevents batters from making hard contact in the air. Cabrera’s main secondary is a plus curveball with added depth that has become a solid swing-and-miss pitch. The key to proving himself as a starter will be the development of his changeup, which has showed improved separation from his fastball. Cabrera walked more than three batters per nine innings in Double-A in 2019 and must improve his control, but he has shown an improved, repeatable delivery.
  THE FUTURE: Cabrera has a high ceiling that could make him anywhere from a No. 2 to No. 4 starter, depending on how he commands his secondary pitches. He should start 2021 at Triple-A with a chance for a quick callup.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins signed Cabrera for $100,000 in 2015. He progressed steadily and broke out in 2019, when he went 9-4, 2.23 with 116 strikeouts and 31 walks in 96.2 innings while climbing to Double-A. Cabrera was a candidate to make his major league debut in 2020 but dealt with arm and back injuries that halted a potential callup.
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cabrera’s main weapon is a double-plus, upper-90s fastball with solid sink that can touch 100 mph. That power pitch helped him induce a 49.5% groundball rate at Double-A and prevents batters from making hard contact in the air. Cabrera’s main secondary is a plus curveball with added depth that has become a solid swing-and-miss pitch. The key to proving himself as a starter will be the development of his changeup, which has showed improved separation from his fastball. Cabrera walked more than three batters per nine innings in Double-A in 2019 and must improve his control, but he has shown an improved, repeatable delivery.
  THE FUTURE: Cabrera has a high ceiling that could make him anywhere from a No. 2 to No. 4 starter, depending on how he commands his secondary pitches. He should start 2021 at Triple-A with a chance for a quick callup.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A $100,000 signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, Cabrera had a breakout campaign in 2019. After showing an exciting arsenal with inconsistent results in his first three seasons, Cabrera ranked as best righthanded pitching prospect in the Florida State League. He reached Double-A Jacksonville in mid-June and struck out a career best 116 batters and allowed a .190 average in a combined 96.2 innings over the two stops.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cabrera has a heavy, mid-90s fastball with sink that has reached as high as 100 mph. While his fastball has seemingly always had the makings of a double-plus pitch and has only continued to improve, it was the development of Cabrera’s breaking ball and changeup that has helped him become a more well-rounded pitcher. Though still firm at 88-90 mph, Cabrera’s changeup brings enough separation from his fastball to keep hitters off-balance, while his low- 80s breaking ball has both the tilt and depth necessary to be a swing-and-miss pitch. An athletic 6-foot-4, Cabrera’s delivery can speed up at times, but he still managed to improve his control and walked fewer than three batters per nine innings in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sixto Sanchez is the only pitching prospect in the Marlins’ system with as high a ceiling as Cabrera, and even that gap might have closed slightly in 2019. Cabrera will likely begin the 2020 season back at Double-A Jacksonville, with a midseason move to Triple-A probable if he performs well.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A $100,000 signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, Cabrera had a breakout campaign in 2019. After showing an exciting arsenal with inconsistent results in his first three seasons, Cabrera ranked as best righthanded pitching prospect in the Florida State League. He reached Double-A Jacksonville in mid-June and struck out a career best 116 batters and allowed a .190 average in a combined 96.2 innings over the two stops.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cabrera has a heavy, mid-90s fastball with sink that has reached as high as 100 mph. While his fastball has seemingly always had the makings of a double-plus pitch and has only continued to improve, it was the development of Cabrera's breaking ball and changeup that has helped him become a more well-rounded pitcher. Though still firm at 88-90 mph, Cabrera's changeup brings enough separation from his fastball to keep hitters off-balance, while his low- 80s breaking ball has both the tilt and depth necessary to be a swing-and-miss pitch. An athletic 6-foot-4, Cabrera's delivery can speed up at times, but he still managed to improve his control and walked fewer than three batters per nine innings in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sixto Sanchez is the only pitching prospect in the Marlins' system with as high a ceiling as Cabrera, and even that gap might have closed slightly in 2019. Cabrera will likely begin the 2020 season back at Double-A Jacksonville, with a midseason move to Triple-A probable if he performs well.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  The Marlins’ system has gone from barren to bursting over the last year, and Cabrera has quickly shot himself into the higher end of the next wave of talent to hit south Florida. He tore up both high Class A Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville with a projectable frame, a quick arm and a heavy fastball that sits in the mid-90s and regularly reaches a few ticks higher. His breaking ball and changeup each project as plus, and he’s done an excellent jump refining his command and control. As proof, he’s lowered his walks per nine innings from 3.8 in 2018 to 2.8 in 2019. There’s still a bit of refinement to come, with some scouts wanting to see more consistency in the rhythm and repetition of his delivery to help him take the next step. Sixto Sanchez still sits above Cabrera on the Marlins’ depth chart, but Cabrera isn’t far behind and has a ceiling nearly as high.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Cabrera has some of the best pure stuff in the Marlins’ organization, including an upper-90s fastball that has topped out at 101 mph. He occasionally flashes dominant stuff in the South Atlantic League while also regularly reminding scouts he is still raw. Cabrera pairs an above-average slider with an average but improving changeup to go along with his plus fastball. It will likely take several years for Cabrera to reach his potential, but he has one of the highest ceilings of any Marlins prospect.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Cabrera was one of five players the Marlins signed for $100,000 in July 2015. He trained with Ramon Genao, who also trained the Marlins' most expensive signee of that class, outfielder Mario Prenza, who received $550,000. While Prenza reported to the Dominican Summer League and hit .136 in 2016, Cabrera followed an impressive showing at instructional league with a jump to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League for his pro debut. Scouting Report: Cabrera has a tall, projectable frame and has already seen his stuff tick up since he signed. He touched 94 mph in 2016 and sat 92-93 with his fastball, and he can cut and run it in to righthanded batters. Evaluators project he could add more velocity to his fastball as he fills out physically. His slider flashes plus with good tilt, and his firm changeup, while currently below-average, flashes promise. As with most teenagers, Cabrera has some mechanical adjustments to make. For instance, he doesn't get enough extension over his front leg.
  
  The Future: Cabrera was one of the most sought-after players in the Marlins system as the organization went shopping for pitching help at the 2016 trade deadline. He shows uncommon poise for his age, and one evaluator said his stuff compares favorably with former Marlins farmhand (and current Astros No. 1 prospect) Francis Martes at the same age. Cabrera projects as a mid-rotation starter and should make his full-season debut in 2017.