After a slow start to his inaugural season as a Detroit Tiger, Miguel Cabrera, 25, is the American League’s 2008 home run leader with 37 round trippers. A Tigers player has not earned the honor since Cecil Fielder’s magical feat in 1990 — when he belted numbers 50 and 51 on the last game of the season.
No doubt Cabrera’s accomplishment doesn’t mean very much to disappointed Tigers fans. But it should give some comfort to everyone that Cabrera is just getting started. Most likely, this will not be his only run at a home run title. Sooner or later, his offensive feats will coincide with a serious pennant race.
Cabrera hit 26 of his 37 home runs in the last three months of the season. A healthy, well-adjusted Cabrera should be able to hit 45 to 50 home runs consistently.
I’m not so sure Cabrera is a 45-50 homer guy. I’ve just never considered him a slugger. However, I do think he’ll consistently be a 100 RBI/.315+ hitter who averages about 35 homers.