Jake Cronenworth gets All-Star nod for second consecutive year

Padres utility man Jake Cronenworth will be making his 2nd straight All-Star appearence after he was announced as a replacement player.

The San Diego Padres have held things together for most of the 2022 MLB season despite being without star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. A big reason for that is because of the play of Jake Cronenworth, who was selected as a replacement player for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game this afternoon.

Cronenworth, now in his third season with the Padres, has established himself as an invaluable piece of the puzzle for San Diego. He broke out last season for San Diego when he hit .266 with 21 home runs and 71 RBIs, and became a quick fan favorite with his catchy nickname of ‘Crone Zone'.

Things haven't gone as smoothly for Cronenworth this season, as he's hitting .241 with nine homers and 49 RBIs. Despite that, he's remained a crucial part of San Diego's lineup, and has made the second base position his own after having to play all over the infield to start his career. As a result of his continued solid play, Cronenworth earned his second straight All-Star selection as a replacement for Miami Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm.

2B Jake Cronenworth of the @Padres has been added to the 2022 NL All-Star roster in place of Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the @Marlins. Cronenworth was added by rule as the next in line via the Player Ballot at his position. Jeff McNeil of the @Mets will now start at 2B for the NL. pic.twitter.com/9aXYWa5EXR

— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) July 16, 2022

Jake Cronenworth will be the third All-Star selection for the Padres, joining Manny Machado and Joe Musgrove. This is another big accomplishment for Cronenworth, as he continues to establish himself as one of the top second basemen in the MLB today.

Cronenworth and the Padres have done a good job piecing things together this season, and they should continue to make a playoff push during the second half of the season. Everyone may be paying attention to the potential return of Tatis later on this season, but without Cronenworth, there's a chance Tatis' return this season wouldn't even matter, highlighting the Crone Zone's importance to San Diego as the season moves forward.