It’s been said before. Melky Cabrera, unlike these guys, is young. Relatively young, at least. Age 27 is a magic age — an age when players typically enter their peaks. That he’s coming off his best season — .305/.339/.470, 121 OPS+ — at age 27 makes a world of difference. It’s quite possibly more than just a player performing above his true talent level — it could be an indication of a player that’s breaking out. Of course, more likely than not, that isn’t entirely the case. Cabrera was a mediocre (85 OPS+) hitter for the first 2700 plate appearances of his career, so why would the most recent 700 PAs discount that fact?
If you want proof that a breakout season at age 26 doesn’t necessarily hold over for the following year, check this out:
Year
Age
OPS+
1981
21
91
1982
22
97
1983
23
94
1984
24
72
1985
25
92
1986
26
137
1987
27
87
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View...
Original Story:
