Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth signed a seven-year, $80 million contract three days into the 2023 season, ostensibly keeping him with the Padres through 2030. Drafted out of college by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015, the 29-year-old left-handed hitter toiled in the minors for five seasons before being traded to San Diego as part of the Tommy Pham deal. Cronenworth’s role was fairly ambiguous when he arrived, having pitched and played multiple positions for much of his career. He moved around the infield, playing second base and shortstop and cementing his place in the lineup en route to finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He has played in the past two All-Star games. In October, Cronenworth hit the go-ahead run against the Dodgers to clinch the National League Division Series.
A native of St. Clair, Mich., Cronenworth played hockey and baseball growing up and holds an appreciation for good coffee and classic rock.
Union-Tribune: What were your emotions like when you heard that your new contract was official?
Cronenworth: I think it’s a combination of everything that everybody works for. I mean obviously, main goal is to win the World Series, but to get security and be here for the next technically eight years — including this year — it’s pretty special.
U-T: You always have to believe in yourself and have faith that you’re going to make it. But when you were with Tampa and you weren’t sure where you were going to land or at what position, did you ever dream about a moment like this or think it could be possible for you?
Cronenworth: You always like to hope. But you never know until it becomes a realization. But I think it goes back to the hard work and everything, and trying to become the best player you can each year. No matter what point you’re at in the season, you always have belief in yourself to be the best. And to be rewarded with that is pretty awesome.
U-T: Who did you call first?
Cronenworth: I called my dad first.
U-T: And what was his reaction?
Cronenworth: He couldn’t talk. So, (it was) good. He was happy. (My family) was all here for opening weekend. That was pretty special for them.
U-T: What do you think your first big purchase will be?
Cronenworth: I don’t know. I don’t own a house. I don’t own a car. … I’ve been driving the same car for like seven years. It’s my dad’s old car that I still have. I don’t own anything so there’s only one way, and it’s up.
U-T: Let’s go back to St. Clair, Mich., your hometown. Population 5,500. What was it like growing up there?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K21Hn0eVKUk
Cronenworth: Yeah, small town on the St. Clair River connecting Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair. Everybody knows everybody. Play on the same Little League team, the same guys all the way through high school; play hockey, baseball, everything together. So it’s one of those small Midwest towns. … I think all of us, no matter who was playing sports or whatever, we always had a tight knit group. It was always a tight-knit community.
U-T: Your mom ed away when you were young and your grandmother was influential in helping to raise you. There’s a bench at the Little League field in her name because of how much she gave to the community. What are they going to do for you with this kind of success? Maybe build you a statue?
Cronenworth: I don’t know about after me (laughs). She probably had more influence on Little League than I did. … It seems like ever since I was in Little League and left high school there’s been kids going to play college and seems like every year, a guy in the (National Hockey League). For some reason this little town produces some pretty good athletes.
U-T: Do you know that a “Jake from St. Clair” Facebook page exists and is quite popular? Do you ever peruse that?
Cronenworth: I don’t have Facebook, but I know about it.
U-T: You went to college at the University of Michigan, and one of the best headlines to come out of that time is ‘Jacob Cronenworth is Michigan’s Mr. Everything.’ You did it all. In four Big Ten tournament games, for example, you had four saves while hitting .389 with three RBI. You would literally play second base, hit leadoff and pitch. How special were those days for you?
Cronenworth: Yeah, I mean, my friends that I have now that I’m the closest with are guys that I played with in college and we talk all the time. We all live next to each other in the offseason. So I get to see them. And they come out here, which is great.
U-T: You’ve been telling Matt Carpenter that you can still pitch. Can you still pitch, Jake? Do you work on this in the offseason?
Cronenworth: No, I don’t work on it. But yes, I can.
U-T: You, Carpenter and Trent Grisham are next to one another in the clubhouse. Carpenter recently said that you and Grisham are the messiest locker mates he’s ever had. Agree or disagree?
Cronenworth: I disagree. Trent is messy. I’m not messy. I just keep things on my chair. But it’s my chair so I can put whatever I want on it.
U-T: It’s kind of crazy to think back to how you got here. You were kind of anonymous, the “throw-in” guy in the Tommy Pham trade. No one really knew what your role was going to be or how much you were going to be used. In 2020 came the pandemic, which ended up being beneficial for you because you were able to work daily with the infield coaches here at Petco before games started. Then you make your debut because Eric Hosmer couldn’t play and it’s been full steam ahead ever since. Do you ever think about how life changing that series of events was for you?
Cronenworth: I mean, it’s honestly, it is insane. Because you know, there’s plenty of guys that get the same opportunity and who knows, if I don’t get a hit in that first pinch-hit at-bat or I don’t play as well on the field the first couple games, might not be here today. So it’s one of those things, just try to take advantage of every opportunity you have and just make the most of it.
U-T: The Padres have put up pictures around the stadium of big moments throughout the organization’s history and your clutch hit against the Dodgers, to clinch the National League Division Series, is up on the wall. Is it cool to realize how historic that moment was and will continue to be?
Cronenworth: I mean, yeah. Now that I’ve seen pictures and what they’re doing around the park and around the city, I’m kind of starting to realize what it meant to the team and franchise and the community and everything. It’s pretty awesome.
U-T: Whenever players or coaches talk about you — and this goes back even to your first All-Star game with Dave Roberts and Bud Black — they always say how you do things the “right way.” What do you think they’re all talking about when they say that?
Cronenworth: I would like to think it’s just how I play the game. No matter if I’m struggling or on the hottest streak I’ve ever been on, I’m always gonna be the same player, trying to take the extra base, playing hard on defense, having good at-bats even if I’m not having success. Putting in the work every day.
U-T: You’re a very even-keeled guy. Do you ever get mad at anyone or yell?
Cronenworth: I yell at myself. I’m probably harder on myself than anybody is. Which is good. I’m competitive and I want to be the best so it’s pretty hard not to be hard on yourself.
U-T: Where would we see you show emotion outside of baseball?
Cronenworth: Probably at a Michigan football game.
U-T: In spring training we learned that no one ever called you “Jake” until you were drafted. It was always Jacob. But for some reason you get drafted as “Jake Cronenworth” and suddenly that’s your new first name.
Cronenworth: Yeah, everybody started calling me Jake eight years ago. So it’s kind of Jake now, which is completely fine.
U-T: But your friends and family call you Jacob. And so do the guys in the clubhouse.
Cronenworth: Yeah, for the most part.
U-T: Then you have Jake the Rake, though.
Cronenworth: It sounds better. There’s much more room for nicknames (with Jake) and everything.
U-T: I will tell you though, Jacob John Cronenworth — which is your full name — has a nice ring to it. Did anyone ever call you JJ? Or Jakey?
Cronenworth: No … and no.
U-T: We were the ones who talked about your name in spring training. I put out a tweet that said Jacob is actually the name you grew up with, thinking a few hundred Padres fans might be interested in it. But that thing took off. It got more than half a million views. I had no idea it was going to take off like that and it just showed me how you are not this anonymous guy anymore. People absolutely love you. Have you felt that in the last year or two?
Cronenworth: Yeah, I think ever since (2021), since we’ve had fans at the stadium — obviously, didn’t really feel much of it in ‘20 because no fans — but since then, it’s been awesome. Never would have imagined it but we’re here now and it’s great.
U-T: You played hockey when you were younger and you were pretty good, right?
Cronenworth: I thought I was pretty good.
U-T: Which one of your teammates would be a good hockey player if he knew how to play?
Cronenworth: Probably Nick Martinez. Nick would be a great hockey player.
U-T: I could see that. And he would Red Bull it up so much that he wouldn’t feel anything anyways. Favorite rock band of the past?
Cronenworth: Probably Van Halen or Mötley Crüe.
U-T: What’s your music mix of choice?
Cronenworth: I listen to a lot of old-school rap.
U-T: Very nice. Go to coffee order?
Cronenworth: Just a cold brew in the summer. And then hot in the winter.
U-T: Simple. Favorite ice cream flavor?
Cronenworth: Cookies and cream.
U-T: Best off day spot?
Cronenworth: My apartment.
Note: The story was edited for clarity and length.
