Yankees call up prospects Oswaldo Cabrera, Estevan Florial as team looks for spark

The Yankees, once MLB's top team, have been dismal for more than a month

By Matt Snyder

Aug 17, 2022 at 4:15 pm ET • 1 min read

USATSI

In the midst of their worst stretch as a team all season, the Yankees are calling on two talented prospects in hopes of injecting a little life into the offense. Infielder Oswaldo Cabrera and outfielder Estevan Florial were added to the Yankees roster on Wednesday.

Cabrera is getting the start at third base on Wednesday, though he can also handle shortstop and second base. Florial will start in center field and can also play the corners if need be, though the Yankees have a far greater need in center.

Cabrera, a 5-foot-10, 23-year-old switch-hitter, hit .262/.340/.492 with 12 doubles, three triples, eight homers, 29 RBI, 29 runs and 10 steals in 47 games in Triple-A. He's said to have quick hands and a good arm from third base along with good power potential from the left side, which should play well in Yankee Stadium.

Florial, a 24-year-old left-handed hitter, has actually seen action in 16 MLB games, including four this season. He's retained prospect status as he only has 40 career plate appearances. Florial was once ranked as high as the No. 26 prospect in all of baseball by Baseball Prospectus but has fallen off every top 100 list by now. In 89 Triple-A games this season, he's hit .286/.368/.490 with 26 doubles, two triples, 14 homers, 39 RBI, 62 runs and 32 stolen bases. His biggest boost will be defensively in center field, but he also has decent power potential and can make some noise on the basepaths.

The Yankees could use a boost from just about anyone at this point. They aren't in danger of losing a playoff spot or anything, as they still have a nine-game lead in the AL East. But they have lost 11 of their last 13, and the offense has only scored nine total runs in the last seven games.

Overall, the Yankees were gangbusters through early July, but since July 8, they have gone 11-22. Before this rough stretch, they were on pace to challenge the single-season wins record of 116. Now they are on pace to win exactly 100 games and have fallen behind the Dodgers, Astros and Mets for the best record in baseball.