Former Ute C.J. Cron 'happy' to be with Salt Lake Bees


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake Bees' season is set to begin Thursday against the Sacramento River Cats, and one familiar face is hoping to make a name for himself with the Bees and also with the team’s Major League Baseball affiliate, the Los Angeles Angels.

C.J. Cron, the first-ever first round draft selection (No. 17) from the University of Utah and second-rated prospect for the Angels, returned to Utah to play first baseman for the Bees this season after playing a year with the Angels’ Double-A affiliate Arkansas Travelers. Before that, Cron spent some time with the Orem Owlz (2011) and Inland Empire (2012).

Now with the prospect of playing with the Angels, Cron said he’s ready for the opportunity, whenever he gets the call.

“Nothing is handed to you; you’ve still got to go out and prove yourself,” Cron said. “You’ve got to do what it takes to make the big leagues.”

Cron, who was a two-time All-American while at Utah, said the goal to make it to the big leagues is real but that he’s looking to improve his abilities while in Utah and to help the team win as many games as possible.


Nothing is handed to you; you've still got to go out and prove yourself. You've got to do what it takes to make the big leagues.

–CJ Cron


“It’s always a goal to play in the big leagues, obviously. But if you were to get sent down somewhere, this is a good place to get sent,” Cron said. “I’m here to get better, I’m here to help the team win. Really, regardless of where I’m at, those were going to be my goals. And that’s what I’m going to try to do.

“It’s close, but at the same time we’re not there yet,” he added. “You’ve got to do everything you can to get there and live the dream.”

Bees manager Keith Johnson doesn’t doubt Cron’s ability to play well at first base this season and for the prospects of getting called up. Johnson said he hopes the upcoming season for Cron will be the start to a long career in MLB. But if Cron never gets called up, Johnson added, the Bees will be happy with the consistency of the lineup.

“Hopefully he gets off to a great start, but if he doesn’t, he’s still going to be in the lineup,” Johnson said. “He’s going to be able to work through some things and continue his development to being an everyday major leaguer.

“Until you know how to make adjustments and mess things up and figure out what works and doesn’t, there’s still some development there,” Johnson added. “There’s probably going to be some growing pains at first, but at the same time I know he’s going to go out there and work to get better.”

Angels Spring Training

GABRHTB2B3BHRRBISOAVGOBPSLGOPS
1224371110166.292.280.458.738

Johnson said Cron’s progress will depend on how he handles adversity in his first season in Triple-A baseball and that the Angels are looking to see some consistency from Cron at first base and in the batter’s box.

“The Angels are wanting to see the consistency of his approach, putting the ball in play, making some contact,” he said. “Obviously he’s tabbed as a power hitter, but as far as development is concerned, power is usually the last thing to come. Being a good hitter comes first and understanding your strike zone and different situations are the things that come first.”

Cron will spend the bulk of his time playing first base to give him the necessary experience for MLB, but will occasionally split the position with Efren Navarro, a member of the 2013 Triple-A All-Star team and an All-PCL selection in 2013.

Coming back to the state where Cron played college baseball, and with the big leagues within reach, Cron said he’s not worried about the pressure.

“There’s pressure if you let it get there. But at the same time you can’t really listen to it,” he said. “All of us in the clubhouse have one major goal and that’s to make it to the big leagues. If you let all the little things get inside your head, it’s a much longer road, so you have to tune them out and really focus on what it takes to help the team win.”

Cron played 12 games during spring training with the Angels, batting .292 and hitting one home run and six RBIs over 24 at bats. And although Cron faired well in spring training, he has All-Star first baseman Albert Pujols ahead of him.

"Obviously I'm rooting for the best for him; he's a great player," Cron said. "The Angels have a really great team this year and they can put it all together and win a lot of ball games."

Related stories

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsUtah Utes
Josh Furlong

    ARE YOU GAME?

    From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast