When Asdrubal Cabrera launched an RBI double off the wall Sunday in Philadelphia, another long hit in another big moment, there was no loud show of emotion, no fist pump, no hearty claps. Instead, he fixed his pant leg, looked to the Mets' dugout and offered the obligatory pepper-grinder celebration with the twist of his hands.
In an image, that has been Cabrera's 2018, offering steady excellence to what has been a mediocre team. Along with career-highs in average (.329, tied for fourth in the NL), OBP (.376) and slugging percentage (.552), Cabrera is second on the team behind Yoenis Cespedes in home runs (six) and RBIs (23). His team-high 1.8 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs, is double the next-best hitter (Todd Frazier, 0.9).
Cabrera has staked strong claim as the Mets' early MVP _ a debate simplified by Jacob deGrom's five innings this month _ as they hit the one-quarter mark of their season this week.
Why is Cabrera having the best year of his career? In a testament to the unpredictable, shades-of-gray nature of baseball, it depends on who you ask. From the front office to the manager's office to the batting cages to the clubhouse, everybody has their own idea.
