The Philadelphia Phillies have had many players with breakout seasons this year to help pave the way to the team’s success in 2024. However, that success hasn’t been just happening at the big league level, as many of the Phillies’ prospects have also surprisingly performed beyond expectations at the minor league level.
Among them is a name that the average Phillies fan probably hasn’t heard of but could very well become a name you need to know soon enough. That player is right-handed pitching prospect Jean Cabrera. In a recent article from MLB Pipeline, Cabrera had the distinguished honor of being named the Phillies’ breakout prospect of the 2024 season.
Phillies’ breakout prospect of the year is a name you need to know
After beginning the year outside of the Phillies Top 30 prospects list, Cabrera has now risen all the way up to No. 13 within just a few months' time due to his strong performance. He started 2024 with High-A Jersey Shore, where he posted fantastic numbers across the board. Over 14 starts, Cabrera went 5-4 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, along with a whopping 91 strikeouts in just 77 innings.
The 22-year-old's highlights included an impressive 14-strikeout game against the Wilmington Blue Rocks on June 12. Cabrera was also named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week during the first week of July.
Jean Cabrera's locked in 🔐
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 5, 2024
The @Phillies prospect twirls six hitless innings and strikes out 10, the third time he notches double-digit punchouts in a game for the @BlueClaws: pic.twitter.com/VqScPL5hqp
All of those accolades subsequently earned him a well-deserved promotion to Double-A Reading. However, he endured some struggles after the move, which became an important learning curve for him.
Nevertheless, for the season, Cabrera compiled a solid 6-5 record with a 3.80 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, giving up only six home runs all year with 33 walks and 110 strikeouts in 106 2/3 innings over 20 appearances, including 19 starts. His effective tri-offering of a fastball, slider and changeup pitch mix has enabled him to be successful in throwing strikes and whiffing batters at a high rate.
Cabrera will likely begin next season with Reading but could be on the fast track to the big leagues if he continues to make the right adjustments to get hitters out at the higher levels. With the potential to hit triple digits with his fastball and after he's developed, he could soon be joining the ranks of an Andrew Painter or Mick Abel.