CHICAGO -- Looking around Major League Baseball, it’s tough to argue that there’s anyone feeling better at the plate than C.J. Cron.

In his first season with the Rockies, Cron owns a .276 average and a .905 OPS, the latter of which ranked 10th in the National League coming into Tuesday. It’s been an overall respectable season for Cron, but since the calendar flipped to August, the 31-year-old has broken off one of the most impressive months in the Majors.

After his 3-for-4 performance Monday night against the Cubs, Cron owned both the top average (.418) and slugging percentage (.836) of anyone in the big leagues this month. His 28 RBIs in August were six more than the next closest totals (Cincinnati’s Joey Votto and Tampa Bay’s Brandon Lowe), and his seven homers had him tied atop the NL.

Cron has an 18-game on-base streak that began on Aug. 3 (the Rockies’ second game of the month), and in that stretch, Cron has slashed .444/.520/.889 with 14 extra-base hits.

“C.J., in his history, has been streaky, and he's in a good spot right now,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “I've known him for a while. I was with the Angels in 2016 when he was part of that team, and I've always thought that there's danger in there, that there's a pretty good hitter in there. So, me personally, I always feel like something good is about to happen when he's in the box, especially when he's going through a streak like now.”

Cron has taken the part of a journeyman player over the past few seasons, with Colorado being his fifth team in as many years. After his last month at the plate, though, Cron is looking more like a player the Rockies might want to keep around.

“I think over the course of 162 games, you're going to have your ups and downs,” Cron said. “I think this has been the best stretch I've had here with the Rockies, so of course it's gonna stick out a little bit more than anything else, but I guess it's something that just comes and goes and trying to kind of hang on to that. Having that timing for as long as possible is what I'm trying to focus on right now, and hopefully just keep it going.”

But Cron isn’t the only bat that’s stood out in Colorado’s lineup.

Since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on July 20 to begin his third stint with the big league club in 2021, Connor Joe has been on a similar tear at the plate. In the 27 games since his promotion, Joe owns a 1.000 OPS and has knocked in 23 runs and has looked the part of a consistent leadoff hitter.

Like Cron, Joe has bounced around the league since being drafted by the Pirates in 2014, spending time with five organizations before signing a Minor League deal with Colorado last November. But like Cron over the last month, Joe has produced at a level higher than the Rockies likely would’ve hoped for.

“I'm honestly just taking it day for day,” Joe said. “Trying to simplify it as much as I can, at-bat to at-bat, and I'm just really having a lot of fun out there. I'm really happy to have this opportunity to show what I can do,”

“With what Connor is going through right now, I think he's making the most of his regular playing time. So good for him,” Black said. “He's coming with a great deal of intent and focus every day, he's got a great personality, as you guys are starting to get to know him. He's really good on the team, great clubhouse guy, players like him. He's positive. There's a lot of great attributes to Connor Joe.”

Whether Cron and Joe are future pieces to the puzzle for the rebuilding Rockies, their play over the past few weeks seems to be forcing Colorado to keep them in mind.

“It's great to see a player seize that opportunity,” Black said. “... The players want the opportunity, and when you perform, you're going to get it. Players determine their own fate.”