Jake Cronenworth

It may be selling Cronenworth short to call him a two-way star at Michigan. It's more accurate to say he does whatever Michigan needs. He's been the Wolverines closer for three years, but when lefthander Evan Hill was sidelined at the outset of the season, Cronenworth moved into the starting rotation. He has slid between first and second base as a position player depending on what the Wolverines need. And now that he's closing again, he's going directly from first or second to the mound in the late innings. An accomplished high school hockey player, Cronenworth projects best as a relief pitcher as a pro. He sits 88-92 and touches 94 mph right now. His fastball could play up a little more when he focuses entirely on pitching in short stints. He sets hitters up with the fastball then finishes them off with an average to tick-above-average split-finger fastball. He also has a well-below average slider. At the plate, Cronenworth has a smooth swing and excellent plate discipline, but he's less projectable as a second baseman than he is on the mound.