What happened to Adrian Cardenas' RBI?

{Editor’s Note: For those looking for Seth Frankel’s In Focus today, due to illness that will not run this week, but will return next Monday.}

One of the top second base prospects heading in to this year, the Phillies’ Adrian Cardenas is not producing runs at the plate like he was in 2007. After picking up 79 RBI last year in 499 at-bats, Cardenas has just 13 so far through 160 at-bats. It is not that he is not hitting – his average in the Florida State League as of this writing is at .319, with an OBP of .396 – but the RBI production simply is nothing special at this point to date. What has also dropped off is his extra base production. After hitting nine homers and 30 doubles last year, he is on pace to match the homers with four but he has just eight doubles so far.

One player ripping up the Florida State League right now in just about every category is J. P. Arencibia, a catcher drafted in the first round last year by the Blue Jays. Through 59 games so far, Arencibia is hitting .315 with thirteen home runs, 62 RBI, 38 runs, and 22 doubles. His average has dropped off a little of late, as he is hitting .293 over the last ten games, but he has been producing for power with three homers, two doubles, and thirteen RBI in that stretch.

Is it better to be lucky or good? Well, the Mets’ Tobi Stoner had abysmal luck in the Florida State League, but it did not prevent him from receiving a promotion to Double-A Binghamton, where he made his debut June 13. How abysmal was his luck? Try a 1-5 record despite a K/BB ratio of 48:9 and an ERA of 2.60. His debut with the Binghamton Mets was a mixed bag, as he allowed three hits and four walks in just five innings, but he also limited the damage to just one earned run and he struck out five in the no-decision. The 23-year-old from Davis and Elkins College is one to keep an eye at.

Moving over the California League, Orioles’ prospect Jake Arrieta had struggled over his last couple of starts before settling down somewhat in his last, holding the Potomac Nationals to eight hits, a walk, and two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings while striking out eight. Not perfect, but a turnaround from back-to-back four inning blowups. Overall, Arrieta is 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 14 starts, with 82 strikeouts and 39 walks in 79 1/3 innings, and he has held the opposition to a .181 batting average. Look for Arrieta to open 2009 in Double-A, with him likely challenging for a spot in the majors in 2010.

Trevor Cahill’s control abandoned him in his last start, but he did strike out four, putting him over the 100 mark at the season, at 103. That’s 103 strikeouts and 31 walks 87 1/3 innings over 14 appearances (13 as a starter), and he also holds a splendid .174 batting average against and a 2.78 ERA. While the Athletics are clearly trying to be cautious here, one has to wonder what left he has to prove in the California League.

Lastly for this week’s names, we have Carlos Rosa, who was perfect – literally – in his last outing, before being pulled after four innings. In his short time in Triple-A, Rosa was 2-1 with a 3.96 ERA, with 20 strikeouts and only four walks in 25 innings. Before that, Rosa had been 4-2 with a 1.20 ERA in eight starts in the Double-A Texas League, with 42 strikeouts and just seven walks. Now, he is up in the majors, pitching out of the Royals’ pen, and he has already pitched one perfect inning, striking out one. Rosa will not stay in the pen for long however, as he is a starter, and the Royals’ weaknesses in the rotation will eventually force his returning to a starting role. No, I am not buying Kyle Davies as a long-term solution, nor a short-term one either really.

That wraps up today’s run through the minors – next Monday, more minor league names to know!