SEATTLE -- C.J. Cron isn't just getting more hits to fall in lately -- it appears he is evolving into a more disciplined Major League hitter.
It's still very early, but Cron has so far doubled his walk rate, while slicing his strikeout rate by about a third. He's swinging at fewer pitches outside of the strike zone, making more contact within the strike zone and seemingly taking a major step in his development, the type that eludes most professional hitters.
"Sometimes plate discipline is something that stays the same for a player from when he's 12 years old to the time he stops playing, at whatever age," manager Mike Scioscia said.