Can the Padres Two-Time All-Star Infielder Get Past His Struggles in 2026?
It's hard to believe that fairly recently, Jake Cronenworth was considered to be a premier MLB second baseman. In 2026, the former all-star has struggled badly. Although 2026 has seen many slumping stars for San Diego, none have produced as little as the Padres' everyday second baseman. Cronenworth has been a fan favorite since his debut back in 2020. Despite the love, 2026's atrocious start has led the Padres' fan base to question their once-beloved second baseman's place on the team. His production, coupled with his fairly large contract, makes it difficult to see any fanfare around Cronenworth returning anytime soon.
Hot Start
Coming out of college, Cronenworth was an interesting case. The University of Michigan product had been both a pitcher and a middle infielder in college. That diversity led to his selection in the seventh round by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015. However, without the 2019 trade, Cronenworth may have remained a backmarker, Triple-A depth piece. Instead, the Rays packaged the two-way player alongside recognized big leaguer Tommy Pham in exchange for an infielder, Xavier Edwards, and a power-hitting outfielder by the name of Hunter Renfroe. The most impactful player in the deal would end up being Cronenworth, who originally was a "player to be named later" in the deal. His 2020 call-up saw an immediate impact. Cronenworth, now a primary second baseman, finished second in National League Rookie of the Year Award voting after posting an OPS of .831 in 54 games for the playoff-bound Padres. 2021 was even better. 21 home runs and a WAR of 4.8 in 152 games earned the former pitcher his first of two consecutive all-star nods. Back-to-back all-star appearances resulted in a payday. The infielder was handed a seven-year, $80 million contract entering 2023, an interesting payment considering the team control remaining on Cronenworth's rookie contract. In the first year of the contract, the now first baseman posted career-worst numbers, posting an OPS of .689 in 127 games with just 10 home runs. 2024 and 2025 saw improvements, with shifts back to second base and OPS's of .714 and .744, respectively, yet they were still a drop from his early-career numbers. Entering 2026, the consensus opinion on Cronenworth was that of a solid-hitting, solid-defending second baseman who could be moved around the infield when requested.
Disastrous Start
Consensus opinion now views Cronenworth as a black hole on offense, by far the Padres' worst everyday hitter in the early going of 2026. In 99 plate appearances, the former all-star has posted an OPS of .497 with a slugging percentage of .214. He has been moved around in the order, hitting in the leadoff spot for some time, as well as the nine spot for certain situations, but nothing has helped. Even a 69th percentile base running value and a 71st percentile fielding run value have not saved the Michigan alumni from recording negative WAR. Returning to his 2023-2025 self is not entirely out of the question. The infielder has always been a low-chase-rate, minimal hard-contact type of player. Still, this season, his Baseball Savant page reads nothing but blue in the hitting categories, a scary sight for future projection. A slight uptick in production likely follows the 32-year-old, but the back-to-back all-star form of Cronenworth is seemingly gone.
