Padres' $80 Million Star Believes He's Set for Breakout Season

San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth believes he's set for a breakout season in 2026.

After an offseason spent training differently, Cronenworth is eyeing a new level success in his seventh Major League season.

“Being 32 now, a lot more running, a lot more getting faster, a lot of speed work,” he told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I feel great. I feel faster. I feel physically, maybe not when I was 26 or 27, but I feel really, really, really good right now.

“You’ve gotta always be evolving. Pitching is always getting better, and I’m getting older. So it’s trying to find ways to stay young and get a little faster and move better. I feel like I’m in a really, really good position to do that.”

This season, Cronenworth is expected to be the Padres' primary second baseman, though the 32-year-old has the ability to play first base and shortstop. The past few seasons have seen Cronenworth bounce around between first and second base.

His best seasons were the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, where he was selected as an All-Star in back-to-back years. Cronenworth hit .266 with 21 home runs, 71 RBIs and an OPS of .800 to earn his first trip to the Midsummer Classic in 2021.

Could Cronenworth be on the brink of another All-Star season in 2026?

This spring, the Padres have already asked much of the infielder as manager Craig Stammen experimented with Cronenworth as the leadoff hitter in Cactus League games.

Stammen revealed Cronenworth could be a regular in the leadoff spot of the Padres lineup this season when asked if this was a "thing" or just a spring training lineup.

“I think it is a thing,” Stammen said. “We just kind of want to see. Leadoff is the one spot we’re just not quite sure of who’s going to be in that spot in the lineup. Maybe it (depends on) different handedness (of the opposing pitcher). Maybe it’s all the time. So you might see a few different options here with the WBC guys gone.”

He is hitting .364 (8-for-22) with two walks in Cactus League play, but it remains to be seen whether the Padres will have Cronenworth bat leadoff regularly this season.

Stammen has revealed he is expecting to make ongoing changes to the lineup depending on matchups in his first season as skipper. Regardless of where Cronenworth is hitting in the lineup, the infielder is looking to make headlines in his age-32 season.

The infielder is coming off a season where he hit .246 with 11 home runs, 59 RBIs and an OPS of .744. He's eyeing success in 2026 and that's exactly the kind of mentality the Padres need from their veteran players.

The World Series window for San Diego won't be open forever, but if players like Cronenworth can have a breakout performance, then the team has a better chance of winning it all.

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