C.J. Cron | Prospect Profile

Prospect Profile – C.J. Cron

How’s this for an intro. In just 163 Minor League Games, C.J. Cron has put up a .296 BA, .877 OPS, 361 total bases, including 40 home runs, 37 doubles and 164 RBI. That’s more than an RBI per game and he did it all with a torn labrum, an injury he suffered in his last season at Utah. Not a bad start to C.J.’s professional career after the Angels selected him in the first round of the 2011 draft.

C.J. has plus raw power, with the ball sounding loud coming off his bat. C.J. was well on the way to setting a Pioneer League record for the most home runs in short season play until he injured his knee, costing him a shot at the home run record. While his bat will carry him to the big leagues, C.J. needs to calm his aggressive approach at the plate, as he walked just 17 times in 557 plate appearances. Cron will  never be a gold glove first baseman, but he’s not a liability there either, though his range is limited around the bag. Cron has below average speed.

Cron has Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo and Kendrys Morales blocking him at first base so there’s a good chance he ends up going the route of Billy Butler at the designated hitter spot if he crushes pitching at higher levels and improves his plate discipline. Cron will begin the season in Double-A Arkansas, though his 2013 debut may be delayed if the surgery he had on his torn labrum in August isn’t fully healed.