St. Clair native and baseball standout Jake Cronenworth has been acquired by the San Diego Padres in a recent trade from the Tampa Bay Rays. According to the Durham Bulls, the Triple A affiliate of the Rays whom Cronenworth played for in the 2018-19 season, the pitcher earned 2019 Bulls Team MVP honors, in addition to International League Midseason and Postseason All-Star nods, posting a .334 average along with 75 runs and 45 RBI. The 25-year-old paced the circuit in batting average and on-base-percentage, in addition to ranking third in on-base plus slugging and ninth in slugging percentage. Cronenworth, originally a pitcher, saw time at the mound last season. He had seven appearances (six starts) with the Bulls, yielding two unearned runs while striking out nine batters, but he also has the flexibility to play the infield. Prospectors guess that’s where he’ll play with the Padres. Cronenworth was originally selected by Tampa Bay in the seventh round of the 2015 MLB Draft. According to reports, it’s likely he might see the National League field with the Padres this year.
