Bang for the buck
Cron gives Rockies power at a bargain price
Talk about bang for your buck.
First basemen C.J. Cron arrived at Rockies spring training last year on a minor-league deal, made the team and earned $1 million. He proceeded to lead the Rockies with 28 home runs and 92 RBIS.
He was paid $35,714.29 for each homer. For comparison’s sake, San Diego third baseman Manny Machado made $30 million last season and also hit 28 homers. That came out to $1,071,428.57 for each Machado homer.
Let’s do one more. Boston’s J.D. Martinez was paid $691,964.29 for each of his 28 homers.
You get the point. Cron, 32, is turning out to be a bargain for the Rockies, even after signing a two-year, $14.5 million contract in October.
“When we brought C.J. to spring training last year, I could tell pretty early that he was going to hit for us,” manager Bud Black said. “He earned his way onto the team and then provided us with some of the power we needed.”
As the Rockies (4-1) come home to face the Cubs Thursday night at Coors Field, Cron is off to another good start. He’s started every game from the cleanup spot (three games at first, two games as the designated hitter) and is hitting .300 (6-for-20) with two home runs, a rare triple (for him), and a 1.033 OPS.
He launched a 451-foot homer in the ninth inning of the Rockies’ 6-4 win over the Rangers on Monday night at Globe Life Field. Since the start of last season, Cron has hit nine home runs of at least 450 feet, the most in the majors.
“I don’t go up to the plate trying to hit home runs, but I always try to hit the ball hard when I get up there,” Cron said. “And it seems like when I get them, they go.”
Added Black: “He’s got raw power. You put him at home plate and you put on a little exhibition about who hits the ball the farthest? He’s up there. He’s up there with the big boys.”
Cron has an easy-going demeanor that masks his intensity.
“He’s a steady veteran, for sure,” Black said. “He has a nice way about him, where he’s intense and focused but loose at the same time. That’s good for
our group. We have some lesser-service-time guys and C.J. is one of our more veteran players. In his own way, he’s been very impactful for this group.”
The one unavoidable blemish during Cron’s brief Rockies career has been his home-road splits. At Coors Field last season, he slashed .326/.412/.661 with 19 homers and 68 RBIS. On the road, he slashed .235/.337/.734 with nine homers and 24 RBIS.
“I think I can improve that, like a lot of guys on this team can,” Cron said this spring.
In regard to last season, Cron said he made better adjustments as the season went on regarding how the ball breaks differently on the road vs. in Colorado.
He hit .218 with three homers and a .682 OPS in the first half on the road but hit .250 with six homers and a .780 OPS in the second.