Cronenworth's Hot Week Powers Padres Toward Wild Card Berth
The short version
- Jake Cronenworth won NL Player of the Week after batting .464 with 13 hits and 22 total bases.
- The Padres have won nine of 10 and lead MLB with a .323 team average over the last two weeks.
- San Diego's magic number to clinch a Wild Card spot is two as of September 23.
- Cronenworth has played first, second and third base plus shortstop this season across 103 games.
Jake Cronenworth earned NL Player of the Week honors as San Diego closes in on a playoff spot with the league's best recent offense.
San Diego Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth delivered one of the best weeks of his career, earning National League Player of the Week honors while helping the Padres close in on a playoff berth. Over the past week, he posted 13 hits, 22 total bases, a .464 batting average and eight runs, with each figure ranking among the top three in the majors.
Cronenworth, who is playing on an $80 million contract, has appeared in 103 games this season after returning from the injured list on June 29. Known primarily as a second baseman, he has also seen time this year at first base, third base and shortstop, giving regular rest to veterans Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts.
His surge has coincided with a strong Padres stretch. San Diego has won nine of its last 10 games and hit .323 as a team over the past two weeks, the top mark in the league, with Pittsburgh next at .285. The Padres' magic number to clinch a Wild Card series stands at two entering September 23, with the Los Angeles Dodgers having already secured the division title.
Cronenworth homered twice in a Sunday win over the Miami Marlins that completed a sweep, with former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara starting for Miami. In his 103 games, he has played more contests for San Diego than any other active roster member.
The Padres visit the Dodgers for a three-game series before ending the regular season at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team they are trying to hold off in the Wild Card race under first-year manager Craig Stammen.
