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SALT LAKE CITY — Former University of Utah baseball star C.J. Cron is off to hot start in his ninth season in MLB.
The first baseman on the Colorado Rockies is currently tied at the top of the leaderboard in home runs for the 2022 season, joining red-hot New York Yankees power hitters Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo with nine home runs apiece. Among the home run leaders, Cron also leads with a .307 batting average.
Amid his success with the Rockies, Cron on Wednesday donated a "significant philanthropic gift" to the University of Utah, where he played from 2009-11 before being selected 17th overall in the 2011 MLB draft.
Exact details of the donation have not been made public, but the university said Cron's donation will enhance "day-to-day development and overall experience of Utah baseball." Fans of the program have pleaded with the university to build a stadium of their own for the Utes, but there have been no public plans released to indicate a plan to build a stadium.
"I am extremely honored and humbled to be able to give back to the University of Utah baseball program," Cron said in a statement. "Both the university and baseball program hold a special place in my heart. I would not be the person or ball player I am today without the unwavering support from everyone I crossed paths with at Utah. I will forever be a Ute!"
Utah Athletic Director Mark Harlan said the university is "incredibly grateful" for the gift, while adding that it will have a "significant impact for our student-athletes."
"This really speaks to the high regard that C.J. feels for the University of Utah and our baseball program, and his desire to invest in its future growth," Harlan said.
Cron's former team won the program's first men's Pac-12 championship in 2016 and is currently in sixth place in the Pac-12 with a 25-17-1 overall record and 10-11-0 conference record.
Cron became the first-ever first-round draft pick for the university when he was selected by the Los Angeles Angels in 2011. After three years bouncing around in the minor leagues, Cron returned to Salt Lake City to play for the Bees before being called up to the Angels in 2014. Cron bounced back and forth between the Bees and Angels until he was traded to Tampa Bay in 2018.
Following the trade, Cron stayed with the Rays for a season before moving onto the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers until 2021 when he signed as a free agent with Colorado. Earlier this year, Cron signed a two-year, $14.5 million contract with the Rockies, of which all is guaranteed — his largest contract to date.
"Our sincere gratitude goes out to C.J. for his generosity toward our program," Utah head coach Gary Henderson said. "We are grateful to call C.J. a member of our Utah baseball family, and appreciate everything he has done over the years to support our team."
