Rockies' C.J. Cron Continues 2022 Tear, Hits 12th Home Run of Season
Heading into the 2018 season, C.J. Cron, the newest member of the Tampa Bay Rays, hadn't hit more than 16 home runs in a season through his first four years with the Los Angeles Angels.
That season, Cron hit 30 home runs for the Rays and since that point, he's turned into an underrated right-handed power hitter in MLB.
Not including the Covid-shortened 2020 season, Cron has hit 25 or more home runs in his next three years and last year, he got the added benefit of playing his home games at Coors Field as a member of the Colorado Rockies.
He hit .281/.375/.530 with 28 home runs and 92 RBI, posting career-highs across the board and an OPS over .900 for the first time in MLB.
That steady progression of power and consistency has led him to the start of the 2022 season, one where he's established himself as a potential MVP candidate with the Rockies.
On Wednesday, he furthered his candidacy, hitting his 12th home run of the season to tie him with Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most home runs in the National League.
Talk about impressive, Cron's 425-foot home run was his seventh 425+ foot blast of the season, currently the most in MLB.
To add on to that stat, Cron now has nine 415+ foot home runs and 10 home runs of 400 or more feet this season.
He needed the road boost at PNC Park as his splits this season have heavily favored Coors Field. The Coors Effect is a well-documented phenomenon, so the more road success he can have, the better.
We're talking about a player who hit 25+ home runs playing outside of Coors Field in his last three full seasons. He's a capable hitter and should only get better playing in Denver.
Unfortunately for the Rockies, the bullpen faltered as the Pittsburgh Pirates scored eight runs from the sixth inning on, winning 10-5.
It drops Colorado to 20-23 on the season as they travel to our nation's capital for a four-game weekend set against the Washington Nationals.
