(Yonhap Interview) KBO's RBI leader appreciative of teammates for creating opportunities

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Say what you will about the importance of RBIs in baseball. Those who worship at the altar of advanced analytics will say RBIs are an overrated stat as they don't provide an accurate picture of a hitter's true value because they are heavily dependent on teammates and how often they can get on base.

Still, when runners are on base, someone, more often than not, has to bring them home to help his team score and, eventually, win games.

And driving in runs is what Ruben Cardenas of the Kiwoom Heroes has been doing better than anyone so far this season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

In nine games through Wednesday, Cardenas leads all players with 16 RBIs. He recorded at least an RBI in his first seven games, tied for the longest such streak to begin a season.

Cardenas has batted either from the No. 3 hole or cleanup spot this season, and the two players who've logged the most at-bats in front of him, former Los Angeles Dodgers star Yasiel Puig and Lee Ju-hyoung, have been setting the table nicely for Cardenas.

Through Wednesday's action, Puig leads the Heroes with 11 runs scored, and Lee ranks second on the team with 13 hits and a .488 on-base percentage.

"They're good players. It's nice to have them on pretty frequent," Cardenas told Yonhap News Agency at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on Wednesday, before facing the Doosan Bears.

"Guys have been getting on base, and my swing doesn't feel horrible. So it's not bad," he added. "I've been trying to cash in on as many opportunities as I can. My job is to drive in runs, and the guys have been getting on base. So I think that's what's been working."

This is Cardenas' second season in the KBO, but he has already played more games this year than he did for the Samsung Lions in 2024. He arrived last July as a midseason replacement for David MacKinnon but ended up playing just seven games due to a back and oblique injury.

Cardenas took some vitriol on social media from angry Lions fans, who accused the American outfielder of exaggerating his injury.

After the Heroes signed Cardenas in November last year, the league's schedule makers must have sensed an opportunity for some early-season drama. The Heroes visited the Lions in Daegu, about 235 kilometers south of Seoul, for the season-opening series on March 22 and 23, with Cardenas making his KBO return against the team that hung him out to dry amid embellishment accusations that were later disproved.

Cardenas went 6-for-9 with a grand slam and six RBIs in those two games.

Cardenas said he was "tired of answering" questions about his history with the Lions but admitted it was "kind of nice to get Opening Day over with, regardless of who it is, because you have first-game nerves and everything."

Even though he only had a cup of coffee with the Lions last year, Cardenas said he still "got a good taste of it" because he jumped into the middle of the heated battle for postseason spots and played in front of loud fans both at home and on the road.

"Now I feel very comfortable trying to help the young guys as much as I can and trying to be a mentor as much as I can," Cardenas added.

During the preseason last month, Heroes manager Hong Won-ki praised Cardenas and Puig for going out of their way to help out their young teammates. With teenagers getting regular playing time, Cardenas, at 27, is practically ancient on the rebuilding Heroes.

"Coming up in the minors and in college, I didn't have a lot of mentors," he said. "So to be able to be that for them and help them through their journey is something I take pride in. If you have questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them, and if I don't have the answer, I'll find the answer."

For opposing pitchers, the answer to solving Cardenas is perhaps not having to face him at all. And they will not mind it much when Cardenas flies back to Orange County, California, for the birth of his first child later this month.

Cardenas said things have been arranged so that he will be able to train and stay sharp during his paternity leave.

"It's my first kid. I don't think you ever get any of that back," he said. "Baseball will always be there. We still have the rest of the season. We're playing really well, and we have really good players. And so if I miss a few days, I don't think it's the worst thing in the world."

[email protected]
(END)