Padres Infielder Wants to Pitch for Team This Season

Jake Cronenworth started at shortstop for the first time in 2026 when the San Diego Padres hosted the Colorado Rockies on April 11.

Cronenworth moved around the infield, but was primarily a shortstop when he came up through the Tampa Bay Rays' organization. He's made two National League All-Star teams at second base with the Padres, and the latest move is not a permanent one. He filled in on a day off for Xander Bogaerts.

In a recent interview with MLB Tonight, Cronenworth expressed his desire to return to a position he played extensively in college at the University of Michigan: pitcher.

"Yeah, I've lobbied a few times for it," Cronenworth said. "I've only got one inning in the big leagues. I've got [seven appearances] in Triple-A. I lobby for it all the time."

When MLB revised its rulebook in 2023, the league's competition committee limited position players to appearing in games only if a) the game is in extra innings; b) their team is trailing by at least eight runs; c) their team is winning by at least 10 runs in the ninth inning.

Frequently, managers order their position-player pitchers to lob the ball over the plate in order to save their strength.

"I would like to legitimately try to get guys out," Cronenworth said. "We'll see what Craig [Stammen, the Padres' manager] says when he gives me the ball if that ever happens."

The Rays let Cronenworth air it out as an opener with Triple-A Durham in 2019. He threw 7.1 innings across seven games (six starts) that season. Cronenworth was excellent, allowing four hits, two runs (both unearned) and striking out nine batters. Only his command was lacking; Cronenworth issued eight walks.

In the 12th inning of an April 2021 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cronenworth took the mound for his only MLB pitching appearance. He allowed one hit in two-thirds of an inning but no runs.

In college, Cronenworth had two pitches: a two-seam fastball and a split-fingered fastball

"The two-seam was, like 91 to 94," he told MLB Tonight. "Then the splitter was like anywhere from 82 to 88 depending on which one I wanted to throw."

Cronenworth is one of the most versatile baseball players on a team full of them. But he wouldn't go so far as to call himself the best athlete on the Padres.

"There are some freak athletes on our team," he said.

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