Beloved Yankee Oswaldo Cabrera Has Homecoming In Somerset

Bridgewater, New Jersey – The 2021 Patriots will always be remembered fondly in Somerset as the first group to play under the Yankees affiliation. Fans in the community flocked to the ballpark on the heels of the COVID 19 pandemic for the opportunity to watch the next flock of Baby Bombers blossom right in their backyard. While that campaign didn’t result in a championship or even a playoff berth, it was still a massive boon for the Yankees. The organization developed 22 eventual big leaguers in Bridgewater that season, including 2021 Double-A Northeast League MVP Oswaldo Cabrera.

Great having @Yankees fan favorite Oswaldo Cabrera back on the field in Somerset tonight💙 pic.twitter.com/Eb8cu2EprJ

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) August 19, 2025

The Yankees versatile utilityman, who has been on the IL since May after fracturing his left ankle, was back at TD Bank Ballpark on Tuesday night for the first time in over four years to meet and greet the very same fans that cheered him on during his most pivotal year of development.

“This is a beautiful moment for me,” admitted Cabrera. “It’s special because this was one of my best and beautiful years in the minors, and to be back here with all of my guys and all of the fans here, it’s something really emotional for me.”

Cabrera added, “This is special. It means everything to see all of the love that they [the fans] give to me and all of the support that they give to me, it means more than the people think. I feel so grateful for all of the love that they have given to me.”

The now 26-year-old Cabrera is a true player development success story for the franchise; after signing with the Bombers as a 16-year-old out of his native Venezuela, he hit just 22 home runs over the first 410 games of his career from 2016-2019. Cabrera firmly put himself on the radar by blasting a career-high 29 long balls in 2021, including 24 of them in 109 games for the Patriots. He also clubbed 29 doubles and drove home 78 runs while swiping 20 bases in his decorated MVP campaign.

“I think that was the biggest year,” Cabrera said. “Everything started from that moment; obviously we have been playing for a long time in the minors, but that was the year that separated the years before to let them know that I have been working so hard and that I could make it.”

The Yankees protected Cabrera from exposure to the Rule 5 draft by adding him to the 40-man roster that winter and he has gone on to play in 302 big league games while seeing action at seven different positions across the diamond. While most of his 2025 season has been lost due to injury, the former Somerset star is hoping that he can still make it back to the Bronx before the bell tolls on this year.

“I am feeling great; we are killing the rehab right now,” said Cabrera. “We had to calm down a little bit because we are getting good things quick, but the cartilage is still a little bit weak, so we have to calm down a little bit and keep working and progressing.”

Matt Kardos | SomersetPatriots.com Senior Writer

Matt Kardos has covered the Yankees minor league system for over a decade and will spend his 13th season on the beat covering the Patriots for SomersetPatriots.com. Throughout his career, Matt has contributed to MLB.com, YES Network and Pinstriped Prospects. When he’s not at the ballpark, Matt enjoys traveling with his wife Kimberly, watching Jets football and collecting sports cards.