Best players to never make an MLB All-Star roster: 14. Orlando Cabrera
Stats:
- 2,055 hits
- 123 home runs
- .272 batting average
The defensive side of the field was where Orlando Cabrera made his bones in the league. He wasn’t inept offensively, as 2,055 hits and .272 batting average proves but he wasn’t a stud with a bat in his hand either.
With a career that spanned 15 seasons, Cabrera hit double-digit homers on just four occasions. He was above average at bringing in runs though. In 2001, he put it all together. Cabrera accounted for 14 home runs, 96 RBIs and an OPS of .752, the second-best of his career. Unfortunately, though, All-Star voters never looked in his direction. Not only were his numbers considered less than desirable but his teams were awful.
As 2004 rolled around, the shortstop/second baseman was dealt to the Boston Red Sox where he was able to snag his only ring. But while he’s absent of a mid-season trip to the All-Star game on his resume, that didn’t stop Cabrera from locking down defensively. He took home two Gold Glove awards during his career and his statistics stack up nicely against almost anyone in league history. On five separate occasions, Cabrera finished top four in the majors in fielding percentage from the shortstop position. His .977 rank 38th in history, leaving him above guys such as Corey Seager and the impossibly great, Derek Jeter.
Regardless of the lofty company, he was never deemed All-Star material.