One of several rookies from a supposedly barren farm system to make a contribution in the majors for the Angels, C.J. Cron flashed big power but also big holes in his game.
Was C.J. Cron’s rookie campaign a success?
The fact that 2014 was his rookie campaign should make the year a success for Cron. The general consensus entering the season was that he was still wasn’t ready for the majors. Despite that, Cron only spent a month in the minors before getting his first call-up. He didn’t stay called up as he twice got sent back down. That was partly due to him struggling but also partly due to the roster crunch.
By the time things were all said and done, Cron ended 2014 with a .256/.289/.450 slash line. What might be more telling than that though is that Cron got the start at DH in all three ALDS playoff games. Granted, the Angels didn’t have a lot of alternatives, but to show that kind of faith in him in such big games says a lot about where he stands with the organization.
Are we going to have the low-OBP vs. high-ISO debate again?
You bet your ass we are. That .289 ISO and 4.0% walk rate is really hard to stomach, especially in this day and age where so much focus is on OBP. But those 11 homers and .194 ISO is nothing the sneeze at either, especially in this day and age where power is so valuable. Darn these conflicting days and ages!
That might only really be a conflict though if you insist on looking at them separately. Put those marks together and you’ve got a guy with a very solid .324 wOBA and 113 wRC+. To put that in perspective, Howie Kendrick had a .328 wOBA and 115 wRC+ and was considered a critical part of the lineup. What that means is that while the means may not always be pretty, the ends for Cron are perfectly acceptable. That isn’t going to stop people from critiquing the means though.
Did Cron earn the DH job in 2015?
He probably showed enough to be a part-time DH, but maybe not full-time. While his platoon splits in the majors and minors were pretty even, his profile has always been more that of a guy whose primary skill is mashing the living hell out of lefties. That should at least put him in line for a part-time gig at DH. He might get to play there full-time if the Angels simply decide not to add any other bats to the roster.
Cron probably doesn’t deserve that though, not yet. Sure, he can hit a ball a mile, but there are still plenty of holes in his bat that pitchers can and will learn to exploit. In fact, they may already have. After starting strong upon being called up, Cron fell apart in July with a .531 OPS and 19 Ks in 60 PAs. It isn’t uncommon for a rookie to go through a drought like that, but that doesn’t make it any less concerning.
At best, Cron is an unproven bat that they can hand the DH job to and hope he succeeds, which the Angels can afford to do with an already excellent offense. At worst, he’s a project that they can shuttle to and from the minors when needed or stash on the bench as a power threat late in games.
So it’s like Mark Trumbo all over again, right?
As much as that comparison is played out, yeah, it is pretty much spot on. Seriously, look at this swing rate heat map. He swings at everything.
They are extremely similar players, only Cron doesn’t seem to… umm… connect with the females in the fan base like Trumbo did. Can’t imagine why.
Final Answer
Cron is far from perfect, but the Angels don’t need perfect. What they need is a way to keep fostering his talent but without simultaneously overexposing him so that his flaws can get exploited to the brink of his own ruin.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
