It has been a difficult run in the MLB for New York Yankees utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera.

The 24-year-old switch-hitter has failed to live up to the hype surrounding him when he joined the club. While Cabrera provides the Yankees with defensive versatility, he has struggled to produce much at the plate at the MLB level.

Aaron Boone says Oswaldo Cabrera will sporadically bat left-handed against left-handed pitchers in 2024

Oswaldo Cabrera endured a bit of a sophomore slump last season for the New York Yankees, posting a dismal .211 batting average with 5 home runs and 29 RBIs. It appears that the young utilityman will not be giving up on his switch-hitting abilities. Instead, the New York Yankees have other plans in store.

According to MLB insider Greg Joyce, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone plans on having Cabrera approach some of his at-bats in a unique way this season. Boone said that the club would meet before each series and determine whether or not Cabrera would bat left-handed against left-handed pitchers.

While there is a chance that the bold strategy could pay off for Oswaldo Cabrera, many New York Yankees fans are less optimistic. Thanks to the struggles Cabrera endured last season, some fans have questioned whether or not the utilityman is worthy of an MLB roster spot.

Other fans have said that it does not matter which side of the plate he hits from; it won’t improve his game. The fact that Cabrera tends to hit better from the left side of the plate, some fans have questioned not only Cabrera but the Yankees’ decision to allow him to keep switch-hitting.

Oswaldo Cabrera will need to perform early if he hopes to see regular at-bats.

Even though Cabrera provides Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees with options defensively, over his short two-year MLB career, he has left much to be desired with the bat.

While Cabrera hits better from the left side of the plate, the difference is nothing extreme. Against right-handed pitchers, Cabrera owns a career .628 OPS, whereas he owns a .640 OPS versus left-handed pitchers.

If the experiment of having Oswaldo Cabrera hit left-handed against left-handed pitchers does not work out, he may see his playing time cut down.

This offseason, the Yankees acquired a number of players, including Alex Verdugo, Juan Soto, and Trent Grisham. If Cabrera struggles, all of these players may continue to eat into his playing time.