| AB | 577 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .241 |
| OBP | .324 |
| SLG | .39 |
| HR | 17 |
- Full name Jacob John Cronenworth
- Born 01/21/1994 in St. Clair, MI
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 187 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Michigan
- Debut 07/26/2020
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Drafted in the 7th round (208th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015 (signed for $198,900).
View Draft Report
It may be selling Cronenworth short to call him a two-way star at Michigan. It's more accurate to say he does whatever Michigan needs. He's been the Wolverines closer for three years, but when lefthander Evan Hill was sidelined at the outset of the season, Cronenworth moved into the starting rotation. He has slid between first and second base as a position player depending on what the Wolverines need. And now that he's closing again, he's going directly from first or second to the mound in the late innings. An accomplished high school hockey player, Cronenworth projects best as a relief pitcher as a pro. He sits 88-92 and touches 94 mph right now. His fastball could play up a little more when he focuses entirely on pitching in short stints. He sets hitters up with the fastball then finishes them off with an average to tick-above-average split-finger fastball. He also has a well-below average slider. At the plate, Cronenworth has a smooth swing and excellent plate discipline, but he's less projectable as a second baseman than he is on the mound.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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TRACK RECORD: Cronenworth started, relieved and played first base and second base at Michigan. The Rays drafted him as a second baseman, but quickly discovered he could play shortstop as well. He hit his way to the International League batting crown in 2019 and also made six starts on the mound as an "opener." The Padres acquired him with Tommy Pham for Hunter Renfroe and Xavier Edwards after the season.
SCOUTING REPORT: Cronenworth is a heady player who gets the most out of his average tools. He learned to be more aggressive in 2019, and added strength helped him turn from a singles hitter into one who drives doubles and the sporadic home run. He's an above-average runner who can swipe a bag. Cronenworth is an average shortstop with modest range, reliable hands and good anticipation. His arm is more above-average than plus in the field, but he reaches 96 mph on the mound and flashes an above-average slider and usable cutter. His high walk rate in 2019 can be blamed on rust.
THE FUTURE: Cronenworth has a chance to break camp with the Padres. He projects as a super-sub with two-way ability as a low-leverage reliever. -
Players rarely develop the way Cronenworth has in his first three seasons in the Rays system. In college, he served as a closer and filled in as a starting pitcher for Michigan, in addition to playing first and second base. Many teams saw him as a reliever in pro ball, he has moved to shortstop. An intense player who also excelled in hockey in high school, the smart and savvy Cronenworth is a natural leader with a grinder mentality. He bounced back from a tough second half of 2016 by opening 2017 with a 22-game hitting streak. His offense is ahead of his defense. He has an upright, smooth swing with a good eye at the plate, and he exudes confidence in the box with a sound approach. Cronenworth drives the ball well with his line-drive stroke, does a good job getting on base, and does the little things such as moving runners over. He also cleaned up his defense and improved his arm stroke while further distancing himself from pitching. Cronenworth has the tool set to contribute in a variety of ways. He'll likely open the 2018 season back at Montgomery, but could see Triple-A Durham and even Tropicana Field later in the year.
Draft Prospects
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It may be selling Cronenworth short to call him a two-way star at Michigan. It's more accurate to say he does whatever Michigan needs. He's been the Wolverines closer for three years, but when lefthander Evan Hill was sidelined at the outset of the season, Cronenworth moved into the starting rotation. He has slid between first and second base as a position player depending on what the Wolverines need. And now that he's closing again, he's going directly from first or second to the mound in the late innings. An accomplished high school hockey player, Cronenworth projects best as a relief pitcher as a pro. He sits 88-92 and touches 94 mph right now. His fastball could play up a little more when he focuses entirely on pitching in short stints. He sets hitters up with the fastball then finishes them off with an average to tick-above-average split-finger fastball. He also has a well-below average slider. At the plate, Cronenworth has a smooth swing and excellent plate discipline, but he's less projectable as a second baseman than he is on the mound.
Minor League Top Prospects
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This was a breakout year in several ways for Cronenworth, who led the IL in batting and became a two-way player as a pitcher. “You’ve got to like what he’s doing if his bat is as good as it has been,” one scout said. Cronenworth returned in late August from a hamstring injury that cost him more than a month, and then didn’t seem as sharp in the field but maintained a good presence at the plate. His pitching was also suspended by then, but that’s something the Rays are bound to explore because his mound work was credible in short bursts. He has the defensive utility to play a multitude of spots and the added value of being at least a usable low-leverage reliever thanks to a 92-95 mph fastball and a quickly developing high-spin rate slider. -
Cronenworth served as a jack-of-all-trades at Michigan and yet the Rays found a new way to utilize him: as an everyday shortstop at Bowling Green. He pitched and played every infield position but shortstop for the Wolverines, but he has shown great versatility and aptitude by playing short well enough to be called one of the better defenders in the 16-team MWL. Cronenworth has an average arm, but it's adequate for the position. He lacks the fluid movements of the league's top defenders, such as Peoria's Edmundo Sosa, but is dependable. At bat is where Cronenworth shines. He has a strong two-strike approach and sprays line drives from line to line. He has some gap power but below-average thump overall. He led the league with a .429 on-base percentage and hit .322 to rank fifth in the batting race. The lefthanded-hitting Cronenworth crowds the plate and was one of the toughest batters to pitch to, according to league managers. He's a tick above-average as a runner but is a skilled baserunner, so his basestealing ability plays up.
Scouting Reports
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TRACK RECORD: Cronenworth started, relieved and played first base and second base at Michigan. The Rays drafted him as a second baseman, but quickly discovered he could play shortstop as well. He hit his way to the International League batting crown in 2019 and also made six starts as an opener. The Padres acquired him with Tommy Pham for Hunter Renfroe and Xavier Edwards after the season.
SCOUTING REPORT: Cronenworth is a heady player who gets the most out of his average tools. He learned to be more aggressive in 2019, and added strength helped him turn from a singles hitter into one who drives doubles and the sporadic home run. He’s an above-average runner who can swipe a bag. Cronenworth is an average shortstop with modest range, reliable hands and good anticipation. His arm is more above-average than plus in the field, but he reaches 96 mph on the mound and flashes an above-average slider and usable cutter. His high walk rate in 2019 can be blamed on rust.
THE FUTURE: Cronenworth has a chance to break camp with the Padres. He projects as a super-sub with two-way ability as a low-leverage reliever. -
TRACK RECORD: Cronenworth started, relieved and played first base and second base at Michigan. The Rays drafted him as a second baseman, but quickly discovered he could play shortstop as well. He hit his way to the International League batting crown in 2019 and also made six starts on the mound as an "opener." The Padres acquired him with Tommy Pham for Hunter Renfroe and Xavier Edwards after the season.
SCOUTING REPORT: Cronenworth is a heady player who gets the most out of his average tools. He learned to be more aggressive in 2019, and added strength helped him turn from a singles hitter into one who drives doubles and the sporadic home run. He's an above-average runner who can swipe a bag. Cronenworth is an average shortstop with modest range, reliable hands and good anticipation. His arm is more above-average than plus in the field, but he reaches 96 mph on the mound and flashes an above-average slider and usable cutter. His high walk rate in 2019 can be blamed on rust.
THE FUTURE: Cronenworth has a chance to break camp with the Padres. He projects as a super-sub with two-way ability as a low-leverage reliever. -
This was a breakout year in several ways for Cronenworth, who led the IL in batting and became a two-way player as a pitcher. “You’ve got to like what he’s doing if his bat is as good as it has been,” one scout said. Cronenworth returned in late August from a hamstring injury that cost him more than a month, and then didn’t seem as sharp in the field but maintained a good presence at the plate. His pitching was also suspended by then, but that’s something the Rays are bound to explore because his mound work was credible in short bursts. He has the defensive utility to play a multitude of spots and the added value of being at least a usable low-leverage reliever thanks to a 92-95 mph fastball and a quickly developing high-spin rate slider.
