Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Considered one of the best prospects on the 2022 international market, Cabrera officially joined the Reds when that signing period opened on Jan. 15 for $2.7 million. While his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League was relatively nondescript, he started to show what all the fuss was about during his United States debut. Cabrera finished second in the Arizona Complex League in OPS (1.028) and wRC+ (158) while hitting .350. That earned him a late bump to Single-A Daytona, where he hit in four of the five games he played.

Cabrera’s right-handed bat is clearly going to be his calling card. He has an advanced feel for hitting with outstanding bat speed and the ability to use all fields. His overall approach improved some, with an increase in walks as his strikeout rate ticked down a bit in 2023. Like with many young hitters, he’ll need to keep working on recognizing spin, but he can really punish a fastball.

Signed as a shortstop, Cabrera split time between short and third base in the ACL, and his plus arm will definitely work from the left side of the infield. He has decent hands, but he’s slowing down some so the move to the hot corner may eventually become permanent. That would put more pressure on the raw power to show up, and he’ll keep getting reps up the middle for as long as possible.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

When the 2022 international signing period opened in January of that year, Cabrera was No. 3 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 International Prospects list. The Reds signed him right when the period opened for $2.7 million, tied for the fourth-highest bonus handed out for the period. He had a modest debut in the Dominican Summer League but showed some of what all the fuss was about as an amateur.

Right now, Cabrera’s bat is ahead of his glove. While his statline didn’t jump off the page in the DSL, he did display an early ability to use the whole field from the right side of the plate. He has bat speed and raw power to tap into with an idea of what he wants to do as a hitter, though he’ll have to continue to make more consistent contact to get to it as he advances. 

Cabrera runs well, and the Reds will let him stay at shortstop for as long as possible. He has the arm, hands and footwork to play there for now. There’s a chance he’ll outgrow the spot and have to move to third, where the Reds think his bat will profile well. The teenager’s offseason focus was on getting in the weight room, establishing a pro routine and showing up for his United States debut as athletic as possible.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

While training with Denny Suarez, a member of Major League Baseball’s Trainer Partnership program, in Venezuela, Cabrera’s tools caught the eye of all 30 teams. He was ranked No. 3 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 international prospects list when the 2022 signing period opened in January. The Reds were all in, signing the shortstop for $2.7 million on Jan. 15, the first day of the signing period.

Cabrera has the chance to have every tool in the proverbial toolbox. He has a good idea of what he’s doing at the plate, with the right-handed hitter using all fields and making hard contact. He has good raw power and some idea of how to access it already, creating backspin. 

With solid average speed, Cabrera should have the range to stick at shortstop for a long time. He has more than enough arm for the position, with good hands and footwork. If the 17-year old outgrows the position, he has the chance to hit enough to profile well at third. The Reds were impressed with his work at their strength camp in the Dominican Republic and think they got a first-round talent on their hands.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 55  | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Cabrera is an athletic shortstop with a chance to have five above-average tools, but it’s his bat that really separates him from other top hitters in the class.

At the plate, Cabrera shows an advanced approach with pitch recognition. He sprays hard line drives all over the field, stays through the strike zone well and creates backspin. He already shows gap power and is on track for plus power in the future.

On defense, Cabrera has soft hands, good footwork and the type of range that will make him at least an average shortstop. There’s a chance he could move to third base if he continues to grow and develop, but he projects to have enough offensive firepower to make the switch. He’s also an above-average runner.

Cabrera trains with Denny Suarez, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program, in Venezuela. The Reds are the favorite to sign him.

Awards

FSL Player of the Week

Week	Team
04/21/2024

Baseball America Rookie All-Star

Year	Team
2023

ACL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	09/24/2024	Daytona Tortugas activated SS Ricardo Cabrera from the 7-day injured list.
	09/07/2024	Daytona Tortugas placed SS Ricardo Cabrera on the 7-day injured list retroactive to September 6, 2024.
	08/09/2024	Daytona Tortugas activated SS Ricardo Cabrera from the 7-day injured list.
	07/31/2024	Daytona Tortugas placed SS Ricardo Cabrera on the 7-day injured list.
	03/14/2024	SS Ricardo Cabrera assigned to Cincinnati Reds.
	11/05/2023	SS Ricardo Cabrera assigned to Perth Heat.
	09/05/2023	SS Ricardo Cabrera assigned to Daytona Tortugas from ACL Reds.
	09/05/2023	Daytona Tortugas activated SS Ricardo Cabrera.
	06/05/2023	ACL Reds activated SS Ricardo Cabrera.
	06/05/2023	SS Ricardo Cabrera assigned to ACL Reds.
	12/15/2022	SS Ricardo Cabrera and assigned to Caribes de Anzoategui.
	03/22/2022	SS Ricardo Cabrera assigned to DSL Reds.
	01/15/2022	Cincinnati Reds signed free agent SS Ricardo Cabrera to a minor league contract.