Braves: Is Mauricio Cabrera a Hidden Gem?

By Brad Kelly | Jul 21, 2016

Jul 7, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Mauricio Cabrera (62) celebrates after defeating the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /

Mauricio Cabrera has been tremendous for the Atlanta Braves this season. Could the young fireballer be a hidden fantasy gem moving forward?

There have not been too many bright spots for the Atlanta Braves this season, but they recently called up a young reliever of some intrigue. Mauricio Cabrera is only 22-years-old, yet already possesses one of the most electric arms in the game.

Cabrera was signed as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic in 2010. While he was obviously raw, it is easy to see why the Braves were so interested in his arm. One interesting part of his journey to the big leagues, is that he has not exactly excelled in the minor leagues up until this season. He has a minor league career ERA of 4.24, and it seems that Atlanta has turned the page on him being an effective starter.

His command woes have caused him to move to the bullpen, but the move could be a career saver. After tweaking his delivery, and now strictly coming from the stretch, he turned things around this season in AAA, and the results have warranted his promotion in late June.

He has only surrendered two earned runs since his promotion, and more importantly, he has only walked three as well over 10 innings.

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The real reason fantasy owners should look at Cabrera as a hidden gem, is that he could very well be the right handed version of, Aroldis Chapman. Now that sort of claim contains some semblance of hyperbole because Chapman is a generational talent, but Cabrera’s velocity numbers are strikingly similar.

According to Statcast, Cabrera’a AVG velocity,100.8 mph, is the highest in baseball. That ranks him above Chapman by only .4 mph, but it is remarkable to see a player that can rival speeds that were thought to be unsustainable by anyone else. Keep in mind, he is only 22 ass well, and what you have is a fireballer on the verge of becoming a household name.

Cabrera’s fantasy value moving forward hinges on a few factors. Incumbent Braves’ closer, Arodys Vizcaino, was just put on the DL thanks to an oblique injury. Oblique injuries take time, opening the door for Cabrera to take the reins.

The Braves have turned to Jim Johnson first, and predictably, he struggled. He has blown three save chances already this season, and with the Braves needing to snag wins at any chance they can, Johnson should surely have a short leash.

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Cabrera is young, and surely will hit some bumps along the road, but he is the Braves best option to close games as this moment. Cabrera has a bright future a head of him with the type of arsenal he has. Atlanta may not offer a ton of Save opportunities this season, but fantasy owners should pay close attention to Cabrera’s usage in close games. The K upside is clearly there, so do not sleep on Cabrera moving forward.

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