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2022 Padres Player Review: Jake Cronenworth

Another All-Star season for Jake!

By Ben Fadden
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Division Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v San Diego Padres - Game Four Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images

2022 Regular Season Statistics

4.2 fWAR, 158 G, .240 AVG, .333 OBP, .394 SLG, 113 OPS+, 88 R, 88 RBI, 17 HR

Positives From This Season

Jake Cronenworth is one of the most valuable players in baseball in my mind that doesn’t get enough attention. I understand there are bigger names and he gets overshadowed by his teammates Manny Machado and Juan Soto but he plays every day, is spectacular on defense and hits in the middle of a Padres lineup that obviously reached the NLCS in 2022.

Cronenworth finished the year playing more games than he did in 2021, had 17 more RBI compared to last year and finished with an above average OPS+. He played second base for the most part but was able to fill in well at shortstop and first base when needed.

I’ve got to touch on his performance in the postseason. He came up with one of the biggest hits in Padres history—a go-ahead single in Game 4 of the NLDS vs. the Dodgers to help complete the biggest upset in MLB history since 1906. Don’t forget about Game 2 in that series as well when he drove in the go-ahead run to make it 3-2 in the third, scored the go-ahead run to make it 4-3 in the sixth and hit a mammoth homer in the eighth to give the Padres an insurance run.

Cronenworth is a huge part of what the Padres do and you’d think he’s only going to get better.

Negatives From This Season

He struggled offensively to start the season, hitting just 3 home runs in the first two months of 2022. However, he bounced back and hit .315 in June (4 HR) to get his season back on track.

Those who aren’t Cronenworth fans wanted him benched to start the NLDS just because he went hitless in the Wild Card Series. They must have forgot that he is great defensively and already showed the ability to bounce back this season. In the NLDS, he hit .438 and drove in five runs.

So in other words, he turned those negatives about him into positives this season.

If you wish to listen or watch me talk more about Cronenworth’s season on the Talking Friars Podcast/YouTube show, click here!

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