Cabrera is one of three players in MLB history to have a career batting average above .300, 500 home runs, and 3,000 hits, joining Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.

Cabrera is the all-time leader in career home runs and hits by a Venezuelan player, surpassing Andrés Galarraga and Omar Vizquel respectively.

[1] Miguel was signed by the Marlins in 1999 as an amateur free agent and came up through their farm system, teaming with future major leaguers Adrián González and Dontrelle Willis.

Cabrera's postseason play helped propel Florida to the World Series title over the New York Yankees and landed him on the cover of ESPN The Magazine during the offseason.

[12] On June 22, 2006, pitcher Todd Williams let the first pitch of an attempted intentional walk get too close to the plate and Cabrera reached out and singled it to right center field.

[15] With teammates Josh Willingham and Dan Uggla hitting behind and ahead of him respectively, Cabrera finished the year with a .339 batting average, 26 home runs, and 114 RBIs.

[16][17] Cabrera battled the Pittsburgh Pirates' shortstop Freddy Sanchez for the National League batting crown until the last day of the regular season.

Marlins manager Joe Girardi decided to bat Cabrera leadoff for the final game of the season to give him more chances to get a hit for the crown.

[24] He joined David Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Bobby Abreu, and Vladimir Guerrero as the only players to reach the 100-RBI plateau in each of the four previous seasons.

[2] He became one of only six players who had driven in at least 100 runs in each of the past five seasons, joining Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Bobby Abreu, and Mark Teixeira.

[35] On Opening Day, Cabrera hit a grand slam to left-center that traveled more than 420 feet (130 m) at Comerica Park to help the Detroit Tigers to a 15–2 victory over the Texas Rangers.

[49] The lack of a strong #5 hitter to follow Cabrera in the Tigers' lineup also resulted in him drawing a career-high 89 walks, which included an AL-leading 32 intentional passes.

[56] In a spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Cabrera was struck below the right eye by a ground ball off the bat of Hunter Pence, which broke a bone.

He was the sixth youngest player to reach the mark, with only Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., and Lou Gehrig being younger.

[68] Cabrera won the Triple Crown, finishing the season with an AL-leading .330 batting average, plus 44 home runs and 139 RBIs which led all of Major League Baseball.

[80] As of the 2013 All-Star break, Cabrera was hitting .365 with 30 home runs and a league-leading 95 RBIs, considerably ahead of the pace he set during his 2012 Triple Crown season at the same point.

[108][109] Cabrera finished the regular season with a .313 batting average, 25 home runs, 109 RBI, and a league-leading 52 doubles; he led both leagues with 11 sacrifice flies.

[120] On July 5, it was announced that Cabrera had won the fan voting to start at first base for the American League at the 2015 All-Star Game; however, he was unable to play due to injury.

[173][174] Among members of the 500 home run club, Cabrera currently has the fifth highest career batting average, behind Ted Williams (.344), Babe Ruth (.342), Jimmie Foxx (.325) and Manny Ramirez (.312).

[194] On July 8, Cabrera was named to the 2022 MLB All-Star Game as an honorary selection along with Albert Pujols by commissioner Rob Manfred, who was allowed to do so after the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

[208] On May 16, Cabrera became just the eighth player in Tigers history to play in 2,000 regular season games with the team, joining Sam Crawford, Ty Cobb, Charlie Gehringer, Al Kaline, Norm Cash, Lou Whitaker, and Alan Trammell.

[211][212] He retired as one of only two players in MLB history (with Hank Aaron) to reach 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, and 600 doubles while posting a career batting average over .300.

Cabrera was selected to play for Venezuela at the 2009 World Baseball Classic, along with Tigers teammates Magglio Ordóñez, Carlos Guillén, and Armando Galarraga.

On September 29, 2023, two days before the end of the regular season, the Tigers announced Cabrera would remain a member of the organization as a special assistant to the president of baseball operations, Scott Harris.

[224] After maintaining a discreet stance concerning the escalating crisis in his homeland, Cabrera took a hard swing at Venezuela's government, expressing exhaustion over the constant fear for his family's safety and the financial extortion to safeguard them from violence.

He also responded to criticisms of his alleged inadequacy in aiding the Venezuelan people, defending his efforts and millionaire status by recounting his contributions like sending medicine and food, and calling for elections in Venezuela.

[225] Cabrera's public outcry for change followed a tragic event 13 years prior, when Ugueth Urbina, another Venezuelan Tiger, faced a horrifying ordeal as his mother was kidnapped and held for a $6 million ransom.

Cabrera's outspoken stance, alongside other Venezuelan Major League Baseball players, reflects a growing discontent and concern over the political and humanitarian quagmire gripping Venezuela, which has seen at least 75 individuals lose their lives due to civil unrest triggered by the presidency of Nicolas Maduro, whose administration is blamed for the nation's triple-digit inflation, profound food and medical scarcities, and escalating crime rates.

[225] As one of Venezuela's most celebrated baseball icons, Cabrera's vocalizations on the crisis portray a notable shift, encapsulating a desperate plea for intervention and restoration of normalcy in a nation beleaguered by political and social turmoil.

[222] In December 2018 the Orange County Circuit Court ordered Cabrera to pay $20,000 a month in child support to the ex-mistress, additional expenses, and her attorneys' fees.