X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Champ or Chump: Jake Cronenworth

It was widely known before the season that the shorter schedule would favor fringe contenders, and no team has taken better advantage of it than the San Diego Padres. They needed Fernando Tatis Jr. to continue producing like a star despite less-than-stellar peripherals in his rookie season, and he has. They needed Eric Hosmer to learn how to hit a fly ball, and he has. They also needed some surprise producers to emerge, and Jake Cronenworth has more than delivered the goods.

Cronenworth doesn't have the prospect pedigree of most players who explode on to the fantasy radar, being the 208th selection by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2015 Amateur Draft and ranking 19th in the Padres system per MLB Pipeline before the season began. He was an auxiliary piece in the Tommy Pham trade, but wasn't considered a prime get for the Padres. At age 26, he's also older than many fantasy owners realize.

That said, it's tough to ignore a .360/.415/.605 batting line with three homers and a steal over 94 PAs, especially considering that it comes with eligibility at three different positions in Yahoo! leagues (1B, 2B, SS). He's still widely available with a 60% ownership rate as of this writing, and he makes for a great pickup as long as you have realistic expectations. What are realistic expectations? Keep reading to find out!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:

 

A Statcast Darling

If you use Baseball Savant for your fantasy baseball research (and you absolutely should), you're probably aware that Statcast loves Cronenworth. Here is a snapshot of how Cronenworth ranks in several key metrics:

This author finds Cronenworth's .395 xBA and .724 xSLG particularly amusing, but it's important to remember that we are working with less than 100 PAs of data here. Cronenworth is unlikely to sustain his current BABIP of .412 because nobody sustains a BABIP that high. Statcast gives Cronenworth full credit for his 32.4 LD%, but nobody hits that many liners over a full campaign either. The numbers above also make no distinction between airborne and ground ball contact, which is particularly important in a case like Cronenworth.

Cronenworth's grounders have an average exit velocity of 90.1 mph this season, ranking 30th among qualified batters. That's really good! His airborne batted balls average 92.8 mph, ranking 140th in the same subset of players. That's above average, but it isn't elite. These two metrics suggest that Cronenworth is best as a high-average hitter specializing in ground ball base hits, especially considering that he seldom strikes out with a 16 K%. Cronenworth's 28.4 ft./sec Statcast Sprint Speed also allows him to wreak havoc on the bases, potentially helping his BA play up in fantasy.

 

What the Scouts Say

 

Scouts generally agree that Cronenworth is a high-average hitter with minimal power upside, matching the conclusion above. Here are his 2020 scouting grades per FanGraphs:

We see an above-average hit tool with further room to grow, below-average power, and plus speed. Cronenworth didn't rate highly enough as a prospect to receive scouting grades on Baseball Savant, but his scouting report notes that he has been "long able to hit for average" while "managing the strike zone well." It also notes that he added muscle and adopted a more aggressive approach at the plate in 2019, but his minor league numbers don't bear that out. The rest of the report focuses on the novelty of Cronenworth as a two-way player at Triple-A, serving as an effective opener with a strong curve.

 

Cronenworth's Minor League Resume

Scouts see Cronenworth as a batting average play, and this author's interpretation of his Statcast metrics leads to the same conclusion. His MiLB performance clinches the argument. Cronenworth first reached the High Minors in 2017, slashing .285/.363/.342 with a homer and a steal over 180 PAs for Double-A (Montgomery). His 22.1 FB% and 3.3% HR/FB suggested that there's virtually zero power potential here, but finishing the trial with identical 10.6 K% and BB% rates is great news for a guy who can run. His 22.1 LD% was also above-average, suggesting that he might be able to hit more liners than most.

The Rays asked Cronenworth to repeat the level in 2018, and he took a step backward with a .254/.323/.344 line with four homers and 21 steals over 470 PAs. His FB% increased somewhat to 27%, but the accompanying 20.4 IFFB% suggests that he just added a bunch of useless pop-ups that drove his BABIP down to .291. His 9.1 BB% and 14.7 K% were both still strong, and his 24.6% line drive rate actually improved. He was also caught stealing a paltry three times, leading to an outstanding success rate of 88%.

The Rays saw that Cronenworth's peripherals were stronger than his surface stats and gave him a brief taste of Triple-A (Durham) in 2018 before starting him there in 2019. He raked to the tune of a .334/.429/.520 line with 10 homers and 12 steals over 406 PAs, again demonstrating mastery of the strike zone (12.1 BB%, 15.3 K%) while cutting his IFFB% to 9.8%. Cronenworth's BABIP overcorrected to .382, suggesting that his average was a little inflated. His 29 FB% was still a little low to project him for much power, and his 12.2% HR/FB was very low considering the environment he played in.

According to Baseball America's 2019 MiLB park factors, Durham's 1.051 HR factor ranked in the 91st percentile among all minor league parks, while its 0.991 BABIP factor ranked in the 75th. The combination of a nitro-charged baseball and minor league pitchers allowed batters to post stupid numbers at the level, but Cronenworth's were merely good. In all probability, he was still the high-average, low-power guy we saw at Montgomery.

 

Conclusions

Cronenworth's .605 slugging percentage might be tricking fantasy owners into thinking that he has power potential, but his 28.2 FB% at the MLB level suggests that he hasn't added any additional loft since his days on the farm. His liners are also going to decline the first time he slumps, and his MiLB rates only suggest a slightly above-average rate moving forward. If you're looking for pop on the waiver wire, Cronenworth may not be the add for you.

Of course, that doesn't mean that Cronenworth should be avoided like the plague. His low fly ball rate and excellent ground ball exit velocity should allow him to post plus BABIPs for the foreseeable future, while his low strikeout rate should allow him to make the most of his BABIP. He's also fast enough to be a factor on the basepaths, though you should probably expect a 20 SB pace over a full season as opposed to 40+ based simply on how often he ran in the minors.

The Padres generally hit their surprise contributor sixth, a role that doesn't offer the counting stats fantasy owners might like. That said, you have to think that he could be promoted if he keeps getting hits to drop in. Cronenworth is a great target for owners looking for batting average, OBP, and/or steals, with the potential for runs if he improves his lineup slot. Just don't target him for HR.

Verdict: Champ (based on strong batting average/OBP indicators and speed even if his power is largely a mirage)



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More 2020 Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Lamar Jackson12 mins ago

Not Taking Part In Tuesday's Practice
Doug Ghim38 mins ago

A Worthy Start This Week In Mexico
Los Angeles Dodgers56 mins ago

Dodgers Expected To Be Favorites To Land Roki Sasaki
Cameron Young1 hour ago

Making Spot Start In Mexico
Mike Williams1 hour ago

Steelers Trading For Mike Williams
1 hour ago

Cardinals Don't Extend Qualifying Offer To Paul Goldschmidt
Washington Commanders1 hour ago

Marshon Lattimore Traded To Washington
1 hour ago

Reds Give Nick Martinez A Qualifying Offer
2 hours ago

Christian Walker Receives Qualifying Offer From D-Backs
DK Metcalf2 hours ago

Seahawks Won't Be Trading DK Metcalf
Detroit Lions3 hours ago

Lions Acquire Za'Darius Smith From Browns
Dak Prescott3 hours ago

Likely To Go On Injured Reserve
3 hours ago

Dodgers Extend Qualifying Offer To Teoscar Hernandez
4 hours ago

Willy Adames Receives Qualifying Offer From Brewers
4 hours ago

Braves Give Max Fried A Qualifying Offer
4 hours ago

Anthony Santander Receives Qualifying Offer
Aaron Nesmith4 hours ago

Wearing A Walking Boot
4 hours ago

Orioles Extend Qualifying Offer To Corbin Burnes
Devin Vassell4 hours ago

To Remain On The Shelf During Road Trip
Aaron Gordon5 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long-Term
Jonathan Mingo5 hours ago

Heading To Dallas
Brandin Podziemski5 hours ago

Limited On Monday Due To An Illness
Zack Moss5 hours ago

Expected To Miss The Rest Of The Season
Trae Young5 hours ago

Exits Early With Rib Injury
Jeremy Sochan5 hours ago

Suffers Thumb Injury On Monday
Anthony Davis5 hours ago

Has Been Dealing With Foot Issue Since Summer
Artturi Lehkonen5 hours ago

Will Make His Season Debut On Tuesday
Ilya Sorokin5 hours ago

Takes On Penguins Tuesday
Khalil Herbert5 hours ago

Bengals Acquiring Khalil Herbert From Bears
Jake Allen6 hours ago

Posts Second Shutout Of The Season
Jesper Bratt6 hours ago

Collects Two Points In Monday's Win
Adrian Kempe6 hours ago

Enjoys Another Multi-Point Outing
Darcy Kuemper6 hours ago

Continues Point Streak With A Shutout
DeAndre Hopkins10 hours ago

Scores Twice In Week 9 Win
Kareem Hunt10 hours ago

Finds The End Zone In Overtime
Travis Kelce10 hours ago

Catches 14 Passes In Week 9 Win
Cade Otton14 hours ago

Leads Tampa In Receiving In Week 9 Loss On Monday
15 hours ago

Pete Alonso Receives Qualifying Offer From Mets
15 hours ago

Clayton Kershaw Declines 2025 Option
Will Levis15 hours ago

Titans Hopeful Will Levis Will Return In Week 10
Tony Pollard15 hours ago

Titans Looking To Reduce Tony Pollard's Workload?
Dallas Cowboys17 hours ago

Micah Parsons Expected To Play In Week 10
Dereck Lively II17 hours ago

A Late Scratch On Monday
Amari Cooper17 hours ago

Listed As Day-To-Day
Joe Flacco17 hours ago

Named Week 10 Starter
Robert Williams III18 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Jordan Hawkins18 hours ago

Out Versus The Blazers
Zion Williamson18 hours ago

Sidelined Again Versus Portland
Rudy Gobert18 hours ago

Available For Minnesota On Monday
Immanuel Quickley18 hours ago

Still Out On Monday
Jalen Smith18 hours ago

Available Against Jazz
Brandon Miller18 hours ago

Will Play Versus Minnesota
Josh Giddey18 hours ago

Suiting Up Monday
Lauri Markkanen19 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Monday Night
David Njoku19 hours ago

Browns "Highly Unlikely" To Trade David Njoku
John Konchar19 hours ago

Ruled Out Monday Versus Nets
Chase Brown19 hours ago

Appears To Be OK Despite Suffering Bruised Rib
Tee Higgins19 hours ago

Estimated As DNP On Monday
19 hours ago

Alex Bregman Given Qualifying Offer
19 hours ago

Juan Soto Receives Qualifying Offer
Anthony Davis19 hours ago

Available Monday Versus Detroit
Austin Reaves19 hours ago

Suiting Up Monday
19 hours ago

Tyler O'Neill Not Given Qualifying Offer, Headed To Free Agency
Ryan Blaney19 hours ago

Wins At Martinsville And Has Chance To Earn Second Straight Championship
Christopher Bell20 hours ago

Penalized At Martinsville, Removed From Championship Four
D'Angelo Russell20 hours ago

Available Monday
20 hours ago

Nick Pivetta Receives Qualifying Offer
20 hours ago

Colin Rea Heading To Free Agency
Casey Mize20 hours ago

Tigers Decline Casey Mize's 2025 Club Option
Jake Allen21 hours ago

Faces Oilers On Monday
BOS21 hours ago

Tyler Johnson Signs One-Year Deal With Bruins
Zach Benson21 hours ago

Considered "A Possibility" For Tuesday's Game
Artem Zub21 hours ago

Logs Full Practice On Monday
Bryan Rust21 hours ago

Will Join Penguins Road Trip
Marcell Ozuna21 hours ago

Braves Exercise Marcell Ozuna's 2025 Option
Juraj Slafkovsky21 hours ago

Practices On Monday
Macklin Celebrini22 hours ago

Ready To Return On Tuesday
David Fry22 hours ago

To Miss 6-8 Months After Having Elbow Surgery
Gerrit Cole22 hours ago

Yankees Agree To Stick Together
Samuel Ersson23 hours ago

Misses Monday Practice
Connor McDavid23 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule In Recovery
Philip Broberg23 hours ago

Will Miss Several Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
Valeri Nichushkin23 hours ago

Will Return When First Eligible
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Not A Factor At Martinsville And Looks Ahead To Phoenix
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Misses Advancing Through Playoffs Despite Top-Three Finish
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

Has A Solid Top-10 Performance At Martinsville
Chase Elliott1 day ago

Loses Out On Winning At Martinsville
1 day ago

Nathan Eovaldi Declines His Player Option
Rose Namajunas1 day ago

Drops Decision Matchup
Erin Blanchfield1 day ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Dustin Stoltzfus1 day ago

Gets First-Round Knockout At UFC Edmonton
Zach Hyman1 day ago

Records Two Points In Battle Of Alberta Win
Marc-Andre Barriault1 day ago

Knocked Out At UFC Edmonton
Matt Boldy1 day ago

Hits Overtime Winner Versus Toronto
Jared Spurgeon1 day ago

Delivers Two Assists In Sunday's Win
Trevin Giles1 day ago

Losses Third Fight In A Row
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

Extends Goal Streak To Four Games
Mike Malott1 day ago

Wins Decision At UFC Edmonton
NASCAR2 days ago

Speeding Penalty Foils Martin Truex Jr.'s Last Realistic Shot At Winning
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Fails To Advance To Championship 4 But Runs Well
Shane Van Gisbergen2 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Earns Best Oval Finish at Martinsville
William Byron2 days ago

Tentatively In Championship 4 Pending Ruling On Manufacturer Orders
MMA2 days ago

Ariane Lipski Submitted At UFC Edmonton
Jasmine Jasudavicius2 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado2 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi2 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Dominates At UFC Edmonton
Daniel Suarez2 days ago

Will Start 20th At Martinsville
Zane Smith2 days ago

Might Be An Underrated Value Play For Martinsville
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is A Top DFS Recommendation For Martinsville Lineups
Joey Logano2 days ago

Will Be One To Watch At Martinsville
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

Should DFS Players Rely On Brad Keselowski For Martinsville Lineups?
Carson Hocevar2 days ago

Is A Great DFS Option For All Martinsville DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Is Ty Gibbs Worth Rostering At Martinsville This Week For DFS?
Austin Cindric2 days ago

Could Have A Top-20 Performance At Martinsville
William Byron2 days ago

Might Be Usable Only In DFS Tournaments At Martinsville
Chris Buescher2 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster Chris Buescher At Martinsville?
Alex Bowman2 days ago

Expect A Solid Top-10 Performance From Alex Bowman At Martinsville
Rose Namajunas4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Erin Blanchfield4 days ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault4 days ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Trevin Giles4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mike Malott4 days ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Brendson Ribeiro5 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado5 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz5 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Drake Maye, Xavier Legette, Chase Brown, Tyrone Tracy and More!

Michael Florio is back going over his top waiver wire targets for Week 10! Florio also discusses his favorite streaming defenses of the week before going over all of his starts and sits! Get everything you need for the week, before you even set your waivers! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM […]


Marvin Harrison Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, WR, Waiver Wire, NFL DFS, Rookies

Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings for Half-PPR: Christian McCaffrey, T.J. Hockenson, Nico Collins, Jonathon Brooks, Marvin Harrison Jr., Chase Brown

The fantasy football playoffs are just ahead, and if you need assistance setting optimal lineups this week, our half-PPR fantasy football rankings for Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season are here to help. Use our early overall Week 10 rankings for all positions (QB, RB, WR, TE, FLEX, K, D/ST) to assist those close […]


Chase Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 10 Fantasy Football FLEX Rankings (RB, WR, TE) for Half-PPR: Chase Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey, Xavier Worthy

Figuring out who to start in the flex spot is one of the most difficult aspects of fantasy football, especially when comparing two similar players at different positions. If you need assistance this week, use our Week 10 fantasy football FLEX rankings for 2024 and set your winning lineups. Ahead of the Week 10 slate, […]


Christian McCaffrey - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Week 10 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings for Half-PPR: Christian McCaffrey, Chase Brown, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Kareem Hunt, J.K. Dobbins, Tank Bigsby

As the second half of the NFL season heats up, it's never been more critical to set optimal fantasy football lineups. Today we will go over our NFL team's updated Week 10 fantasy football running back rankings for 2024. Let's see where key players such as Christian McCaffrey, Chase Brown, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Kareem Hunt, […]


Tank Dell - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 10 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings for Half-PPR: DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams, Calvin Ridley, Khalil Shakir, Jauan Jennings, Tank Dell

With the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Seattle Seahawks out of action this week, many fantasy managers will need to dive deeper into the wide receiver position to find viable starters and flex options. Our Week 10 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024 are here to help you make those […]


Kyler Murray - Arizona Cardinals

Week 10 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings: Joe Burrow, Sam Darnold, Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, Joe Flacco

The 2024 NFL season is officially over the halfway point, and the fantasy football playoffs are right around the corner. If you need help at the QB spot with four teams on a bye, we're here to help with our NFL team's Week 10 fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2024. Some key quarterbacks have failed […]


Cade Otton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 10 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings for Half-PPR: Cade Otton, Evan Engram, Jake Ferguson, Mike Gesicki, Mark Andrews, Taysom Hill, Zach Ertz

Tight ends have popped off over the last two weeks, so hopefully, the momentum will continue in the second half of the fantasy football season. If you need help finding to top available TE option, our Week 10 fantasy football tight end rankings for 2024 are here to guide you! Ahead of the ninth slate […]


Mike Gesicki - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

FAAB Waiver Wire Bidding - Fantasy Football Pickups to Target for Week 10 (2024)

We've now battled through nine weeks of fantasy football and most of you know whether you're cruising for the playoffs, battling hard for each week, or needing a win every week! Regardless of your needs, joining our famous waiver wire pickups list and our weekly fantasy football waiver wire columns by position, this column focuses on […]


Ray-Ray McCloud III - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 10 Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Football Pickups Include Quentin Johnston, Jalen Tolbert, Ricky Pearsall, Ray Davis, Tyler Allgeier, Mike Gesicki

Week 10 will be here in a few days, and it's time to start bolstering those rosters for the fantasy football playoff push. At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more waiver wire advice to help build those fantasy rosters with our Week 10 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for 2024. There were more crucial […]


Quentin Johnston - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups (QB, RB, WR, TE): Free Agent Adds Include Justin Herbert, Isaac Guerendo, Quentin Johnston, Demarcus Robinson, Taysom Hill

RotoBaller's Week 10 fantasy football waiver wire pickups article for 2024 will cover everyone you need to know that could help your team find replacements for injured players, fill in for players you want to drop, or even help you win a championship. Every week, new players are breaking out. From bench stashes in the […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

The Cut List - Who to Drop for Fantasy Football Week 10

Each new week of NFL games gives us more information to make better, more informed decisions. That’s crucial when figuring out who to add and who to cut. It can be difficult to admit we were wrong on a particular player. For example, using a high draft pick on someone and cutting them so early […]


Christian McCaffrey - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS and Betting Picks, NFL Injury News

2024 Fantasy Football Rankings (Weekly Rankings)

Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.


Los Angeles Chargers Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Khalil Mack Fantasy Football IDP

Week 10 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 10 fantasy football defense streamers and D/ST rankings for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, I'll go through the best and worst fantasy defenses. With four teams on bye (Browns, Raiders, Packers, and Seahawks) this week, I will be ranking fantasy defenses from No. 1 to No. 28.  It is unfortunate […]