Cabrera throws a 96.5 mph changeup? 'You don't see that very often'

MIAMI -- A 96.5 mph changeup?! Yes, you’re reading that correctly.

Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera unleashed that type of velocity with his offspeed pitch during a solid season debut in Friday night’s 7-4 loss to the Nationals at loanDepot park.

It came on the sixth pitch of a first-inning matchup with former teammate Josh Bell, who chased the offering well below the zone and lined out to second baseman Otto Lopez to end the frame. Cabrera would go on to throw another four changeups of at least 95 mph, something he is no stranger to doing.

According to Statcast, of 598 Major Leaguers who have thrown at least 50 four-seamers since the start of the 2024 season, 85 had an average velocity of 96.5 mph or higher -- so 513 of them would have a fastball slower than that changeup. Also since 2024, the MLB average on four-seamers is 94.1 mph.

“Well, truly, I don't think much about speed,” Cabrera said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “I know it's there, but it's just not something I've got to be thinking on. I'm not fully focused on that.”

Cabrera, who turns 27 on Sunday, had missed the first two turns of the rotation while building back from a recurring right middle finger blister he sustained during his fourth Grapefruit League start on March 13.

In his return to the big league mound, Cabrera allowed two runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, with his lone blemish on Bell’s two-run homer with two outs in the sixth. Cabrera followed that tater with his third walk of the game, leading to his exit after 79 pitches.

It couldn’t dampen Cabrera’s overall performance, which included a maximum velocity of 99.5 mph -- the second-fastest pitch he has thrown as a big leaguer. Until Keibert Ruiz’s one-out single in the sixth, he had retired nine of 10 and was economical with his pitch count.

“To have a changeup with that type of velocity, but also the type of movement he's able to create, you don't see that very often,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “There's usually quite a little bit more separation. Edward's a special talent. When you have the fastball, that changeup, and then spinning his breaking ball, in and below the zone, it's a really good version of Edward that we saw tonight.”

But the changeup has always been Cabrera’s go-to pitch, including an arsenal-high 33.4% of the time in 2024. Batters recorded a .197 average and a 34.2% whiff rate. In Friday’s season debut, Cabrera permitted just one hit -- a single -- and tallied three strikeouts on the offering.

Though the changeup proved to be his most frequently used pitch again on Friday (29.1%), Cabrera switched up the rest of his mix by turning to his curveball (21.5%) and slider (21.5%) more than his fastballs (27.9%) due to Washington’s lefty bats.

“Obviously, he’s got multiple pitches that he can throw for strikes,” Bell said. “The [curveball], two-seam. The changeup thing is electric. He’s got a four-seam that he can throw 100 mph. He’s got a good spin on his slider and curveball, too. Elite four-pitch mix.”

Miami gladly welcomes back this version of Cabrera, whom McCullough and president of baseball operations Peter Bendix envisioned as a possible breakout candidate in 2025. During the second half of ‘24, Cabrera posted a 3.57 ERA in 13 starts and pitched five-plus innings in 10 of them. He permitted one earned run or fewer in four of his final five starts, including a stellar showing against the Nationals on Sept. 13 (6 IP, 0 ER).

In order to build off that, Cabrera worked on adding muscle, trimming fat and improving his mental game over the offseason. He figured if the physical and mental sides aligned, he would succeed.

A once highly touted prospect, Cabrera hasn’t lived up to his potential due to growing pains and injury setbacks. By cleaning up his routine, the Marlins believed he could achieve long sought-after consistency.

“Did people just assume he should be really good because he's got really good stuff, but nobody really guided him towards, like, ‘OK, but how do we make you the best version of Edward Cabrera?’” pitching coach Daniel Moskos told MLB.com during Spring Training. “I don't know that he's gotten that. And so I think that there's like, yes, everybody knows the stuff is there, but I also think there's some untapped potential in there, just by guiding him toward being a more consistent human.”