Jake Cronenworth has had an uneven run with the Padres. He’s been both an All-Star and replacement-level, depending on the season. Which one shows up in 2025?

Jake Cronenworth enters the 2025 season as a key piece of the San Diego Padres’ infield, looking to rebound after an up-and-down 2024 campaign.

The two-time All-Star has shown flashes of elite hitting ability but has battled inconsistency the last two years. His power numbers are down from his first few seasons in San Diego. With the departure of some veteran depth, the Padres will need Cronenworth to return to his 2020–2022 form, where he was a tough out. In those first three seasons in San Diego, he posted a 120 OPS+ while averaging 4.4 WAR per year,

In the two seasons since his OPS+ has dropped to 97 with an average WAR of 1.5. Quite the drop-off after a hot start to his Padres career.

Now that he’s back at second base nearly full-time, that might benefit him both with the glove and at the plate. It’s a more natural role after spending time at first base in recent years. Offensively, a bounce-back in his line-drive rate and plate discipline will be key. Per FanGraphs, his swing rate at pitches outside the strike zone are higher the last two years versus what he produced his first three seasons in brown and gold.

If he can regain his ability to spray the ball to all fields while improving against left-handed pitching, Cronenworth could again be a fixture in the top half of the lineup. There is a stark drop-off in how the lefty has fared against left-handed pitchers between 2022 and 2024. His numbers against southpaws last season look like numbers you would see from an outmatched rookie facing big-league pitching for the first time.

The thing with the former Michigan Wolverine is he has past success against lefties at the major league level. He needs to unlock that once again.

It also appears the version of Cronenworth that plays primarily second base is the best version of the Michigan native. His batting average is over 15 points better, with his OPS 30 points better, when he plays second base versus first in his career. Ballplayers are creatures of habit and comfort. Perhaps getting back to full-time second base will unlock that All-Star bat once more.

At 31, he’s in his prime and remains a leader in the clubhouse. If the Padres get the best version of Cronenworth, he’ll provide much-needed stability for a lineup that will be counting on him to deliver with heavy turnover down the bottom of the lineup and bench.  A season closer to a .750 OPS and more than 2.0 WAR this season, with solid defense at second, would go a long way in keeping San Diego competitive.

Nick Lee

Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.