Padres News: Short-Lived Drama With Jake Cronenworth Addressed by All-Star

Spring training is a great time for fans to get an up close and personal look at some of their favorite players. It's a great time to see them in a less-professional environment, and learn about some of their favorite off-field interests. Apparently, it's also a good time to...learn their real name?

Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on an incredible story regarding Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth. Manny Machado was apparently calling him "Jacob" all camp, so she asked him about that.

When Cronenworth was drafted into the MLB, they decided to call him Jake — even though, that was never something he went by. He just went along with it, even though his real name — the one that everyone calls him — is Jacob.

I’m about to blow your mind. Asked Jake Cronenworth about Manny calling him “Jacob” all camp. Turns out the league decided to call him Jake when he was drafted. No one close to him calls him Jake, he said. It’s always been JACOB. High school, college, JACOB. #Padres
— Annie Heilbrunn (@annieheilbrunn) March 2, 2023

So, technically, his name is Jacob Cronenworth, and that's what everyone who knows him calls him. However, Cronenworth chimed in on social media, and made it clear that he doesn't want to overcomplicate things.

Jake Cronenworth has spoken on the Jake/Jacob situation.

From his IG: pic.twitter.com/szB7lLA5r7
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) March 3, 2023

It's amazing it took this long to unearth Cronenworth's real name, but props to Heilbrunn for doing some great investigative journalism. Cronenworth is now entering his fourth year in the Majors, and finally, we know what his actual name is.

But, it sounds like Cronenworth isn't too worried about fixing this issue, and is happy for the MLB world to just keep calling him Jake — at this point, it may be weird to switch to his real name.

So all year, Cronenworth is likely to continue going by the name Jake. However, maybe all the hardcore fans can start making an effort to calling him by his real name.