Cron, taken with the 17th overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player
Draft, batted .293 with 27 homers and 123 RBIs (one short of the Minor
League franchise record set by Todd Greene in 1994), topped the league
with 271 total basesand and was named the Cal League Rookie of the Year
in this season (2012). Cron has big time power, but isn't an all or
nothing slugger, having the ability to foul off good pitches and lay off
good breaking balls. Some people I talk to say Cron reminds them of
Billy Butler with more power.
Right shoulder issues have hampered Cron's
throwing ability and may have led to him committing 19 errors while
spending 95 of his 129 games at first base, but it didn't affect his
ability to hit. Cron underwent labrum surgery to repair a right shoulder
that had been bothering him since his final year at the University of
Utah. Cron, the organization's No. 2 ranked prospect by MLB.com heading
into the 2012 season, had the surgery in Los Angeles, performed by Dr.
Lewis Yocum a few days before the minor league season ended, and will
return to the team's Minor League complex in Arizona to start his rehab.
He should be good to go by spring camp.
Click below to watch our interview with C.J. Cron, conducted this past summer (2012).
