Ruben Cardenas

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #318 prospect in 2018 draft
  A high school teammate of Alex McKenna and a 37th-round pick of the Marlins in 2015, Cardenas missed most of last year with a back injury and received mixed reviews in his return in 2018. Cardenas is a physical righthanded hitter who shows flashes of offensive impact but struggles to put it together consistently. He plays with a slow motor and lacks explosiveness, and in the spring he never appeared comfortable in the batter's box, frequently changing his swing and timing mechanisms. He often sold out for power unsuccessfully and hit just three home runs while posting a .787 OPS. Cardenas fits best in right field with an above-average arm, but he'll need to hit to profile there. Those interested in Cardenas are banking on him regaining his power and explosiveness the further he moves away from his back injury. Others are more skeptical.

• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Cardenas is another low-key Rays trade acquisition who has emerged with a big offensive breakout, hitting 13 home runs in his only full season of work in the minors before this year. Now he's hit 21 home runs with more than a month left in the season. He's got a hard profile to fit on an MLB roster, as he's really best in left field only and despite his big power numbers this year, there are concerns he's got more average than above-average productive power. But the Rays figure out how to get the most from players and their roster, and Cardenas can hit for average with some power.