Miami Marlins: Former Marlins Great on the Verge of History

One former Miami Marlins (at the time Florida Marlins) great is on the verge of history, and you don’t have to think very hard to find that it is current Detroit Tigers DH/1B Miguel Cabrera.

Former Florida/Miami Marlins great Miguel Cabrera is on the verge of history.

Cabrera was originally signed by the Marlins as a free agent back in July of 1999. Reaching the big leagues with the organization in 2003, it was clear early-on that the then 20-year-old would be special as he slashed .268/.325/.468 during his rookie season.

Finishing fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting, Cabrera also played a massive role on the Marlins 2003 World Series winning team which included some phenomenal performances headlined by the 2003 NLCS. In the seven-game series against the Cubs, Cabrera slashed .333/.394/.633 with three HR’s and six RBI’s.

After a phenomenal rookie season, Cabrera would remain with the organization through the 2007 season before being traded to the Detroit Tigers as a part of a multi-player deal. While everyone who has ever watched baseball knows how special Cabrera has been during his 14-seasons as a Tiger, it should not go unnoticed on just how good he was as a Marlin.

Spending a total of five-seasons with the then Florida Marlins, Cabrera’s stat line across that time with the organization speaks for itself:

• 720 Games – .313 AVG, .388 OBP, .542 SLG, .929 OPS, 449 Runs, 842 Hits, 183 2B, 10 3B, 138 HR, 523 RBI, 17 SB

As mentioned previously, the stats speak for themselves, but the national award recognition also speaks volumes as well. An All-Star in four of his five seasons with the Marlins (2004-2007), Cabrera also finished in the Top 5 of NL MVP voting while winning two Silver Sluggers (2005-2006), while also among the Top 25 in MVP voting in both 2004 and 2007.

Fast forward to today, and Cabrera is enjoying a strong 19th MLB season slashing .255/.315/.392 with 12 HR’s and 51 RBI’s with the Tigers. Now 38-years-old in year No. 14 in Detroit, Cabrera is on the verge of MLB history that could potentially happen at any moment now.

Sitting on 499 career HR’s, Cabrera is only one long-ball away from becoming only the 28th player in MLB history to eclipse the 500-mark. Currently ranking No. 28 on the all-time HR list, Cabrera is currently five behind Hall of Famer Eddie Murray for No. 27 all-time, as well as the second-most among active players only behind current Dodgers first baseman Albert Pujols (No. 5 all-time with 676).

While Cabrera may mostly be remembered nationally for his time in Detroit, there is no denying just how good he was as a Marlin. Cabrera will surely pass the 500-HR mark in the very near future, a phenomenal accomplishment for one of the greatest Florida/Miami Marlins of all-time.