Will C.J. Cron finally be the player the Angels hope for?

C.J. Cron – 1B-DH – 2016 Projections: .269 21 HR 69 RBI.

C.J. Cron burst on the scene in 2014 playing most of the second half of the season as both a first baseman and a designated hitter.  In 79 games that season he hit 11 home runs and drove in 37 runs with a .256 average.  So going into last year expectations were high for Cron as he was slated to be in the line-up most every day either at first base or as a designated hitter.

Unfortunately in the first half of the season Cron looked lost batting a paltry .192 with only one home run and six RBI’s before being sent down to the minors on June 10th, a stint that lasted three weeks and saw Cron regain his confidence. Cron hit .323 in 23 games with the Salt Lake City Bees smacking six home runs and driving in 23 runs.

When Cron came back to Anaheim on June 29th he seemed to be a different hitter as he hit a home run his first game back and went on to hit 13 more in the last three months and drive in 45 runs during his second stint for the Angels.  For the season Cron ended up with a .262 batting average hitting 15 home runs and driving in 51 runs.

So the question is what can we expect from Cron in the 2016 season.  According to www.Rotochamp.com Cron will hit .269 with 21 home runs and 69 RBI’s in 2016. If Cron reaches those numbers I think the Angels will be happy with that as the 26 year old continues to develop.

Cron will most likely bat in the 5th or 6th spot in the line-up behind Calhoun, Escobar, Trout, and Pujols depending on the pitching matchups. If C.J. Cron can muscle up and hit 20 plus homers the team will most likely have four players with 20 dingers and it will also provide some needed protection to Pujols.

Next: What will Johnny G do for an encore in 2016?

Let’s hope for C.J. Cron and the Angels that he will be able to live up to the expectations that have been put on him going into this season. To be continued…