C. J. Cron

C. J. Cron

Cron with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – No. 24
First baseman / Designated hitter
Born: (1990-01-05) January 5, 1990
Fullerton, California
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 3, 2014, for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
MLB statistics
(through 2016 season)
Batting average .267
Home runs 43
Runs batted in 157
Teams

Christopher John Cron (born January 5, 1990) is an American professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball (MLB). He bats and throws right-handed.

Career

Amateur career

Cron attended Mountain Pointe High School, and graduated in 2008.[1] He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 44th round (1320th overall) of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft, but he did not sign, opting to attend college. Cron attended the University of Utah, where he played college baseball for the Utah Utes baseball team.[2]

In 2009, Cron was named a second Team College Freshman All-American and Mountain West Conference (MWC) Freshman of the Year. In 2010, he was named a third Team College All-American, MWC All-Star and MWC Player of the Year. In 2011, Cron led the nation in on-base plus slugging (OPS) (1.320) and slugging percentage, for which he was named a Baseball America All-American.[3]

Professional career

The Angels selected Cron in the first round (17th overall) of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft.[4] He made his professional debut that season with the Rookie-level Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League that year.[1]

In 2012, Cron played for the Inland Empire 66ers of the Class A-Advanced California League, where he had a .293 batting average with 27 home runs and 123 runs batted in (RBIs). He played for the Arkansas Travelers of the Class AA Texas League in 2013, and hit .274 with 14 home runs and 83 RBIs. Cron began the 2014 season with the Salt Lake Bees of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. He hit .319 with six home runs and 26 RBIs in 28 games for Salt Lake.[5]

Cron made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Angels on May 3, 2014.[6] Cron hit his first career major league home run on May 10, in an eventual win against the Toronto Blue Jays.[7] The Angels continued to use Raúl Ibañez as their designated hitter, while Ibañez mentored Cron, in spite of Ibañez's struggles.[8][9] Following the release of Ibañez on June 21, Cron became the Angels' primary designated hitter as well as playing first base frequently.[10] He finished the season with a .256 AVG and 11 home runs. Cron was the starting DH for the Angels opening day roster in 2015. After struggling at the plate and some nagging injuries, Cron only played in 113 games and hit 16 home runs for the Angels.

Cron once again made the team out of spring training in 2016, serving as their DH and occasional first baseman. On July 2, he had six hits, including two home runs and a double, in a 21-2 defeat of the Boston Red Sox.[11]

Personal life

Cron is the son of former MLB player Chris Cron.[3] Cron's younger brother, Kevin, also plays professional baseball.[12] Their cousin, Chad Moeller, also played in the MLB.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Skoda, Jason P. "MP grad C.J. Cron begins pro career in Pioneer League - Ahwatukee Foothills - EVTNow". Eastvalleytribune.com. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Bernie Pleskoff: C.J. Cron is a future power option for the Los Angeles Angels | angels.com: News". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "College: Awards: All-America Teams: 2011 College All-America Team". BaseballAmerica.com. June 15, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  4. ↑ Alfano, George (May 9, 2014). "Former Utes, Bees star C.J. Cron enjoying hot start to major league career". Deseret News. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  5. ↑ DiGiovanna, Mike (May 3, 2014). "C.J. Cron has memorable three-hit major league debut in Angels' win". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels - Recap - May 03, 2014 - ESPN". Scores.espn.go.com. May 3, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  7. ↑ Carter Williams. "Utahns in baseball: C.J. Cron hits first career MLB homer; former BYU slugger Matt Carson catches fire in Columbus". Deseret News. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Angels' Raul Ibanez helps C.J. Cron adjust to majors". Los Angeles Times. June 1, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Angels' use of Raul Ibanez over C.J. Cron at DH draws criticism - Los Angeles Times". Latimes.com. June 18, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Angels release struggling designated hitter Raul Ibanez". Los Angeles Times. June 21, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  11. ↑ "MLB Box Score - Los Angeles vs. Boston". CBS Sports. July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  12. ↑ "TCU mainstays leaving Horned Frogs after stellar careers". star-telegram. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Siblings C.J. and Kevin Cron are both expected to go high in Major League Baseball's amateur draft". Ahwatukee Foothills News. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
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