Jake Cronenworth

"Pesky" may be the best word to describe Cronenworth as a player. He did not have a particularly good season by his standards (.722 OPS), but he lays off pitches out of the zone and punishes mistakes. Despite a Statcast hard-hit rate ranking in the bottom quarter of the league, Cronenworth got to a respectable 17 homers last season. He made the most of his lineup placement batting in front of Manny Machado and eventually Juan Soto. He puts the ball in play at a strong clip (career 16.5 K%), but this is not a flashy talent. What makes Cronenworth appealing is dual-position eligibility (2B, 1B), everyday playing time in a good offense and a relatively high floor thanks to his contact and plate management skills. If everyone else is jumping at the perceived higher-upside players, welcome him to your roster with open arms as he's a strong bet to clear 600 plate appearances again. Read Past Outlooks