The potential Pete Crow-Armstrong MVP season is starting to happen for the Chicago Cubs
As Chicago Cubs officials contemplated the idea of star power — how to acquire it, develop it and maximize it — they also held out hope for an internal solution. In breaking up the 2016 World Series team, someone had to fill the void at Wrigley Field, capture the imagination of fans and produce monster 7 WAR seasons.
Though far from a guaranteed outcome, one hypothetical centered on: What if everything clicked for Pete Crow-Armstrong?
You’re looking at it right now. The Cubs in first place. Crow-Armstrong making leaping catches at the ivy and hitting home runs into the bleachers. Fans chanting “P-C-A!” and roaring when he drives the ball into the right-field corner, knowing that’s an easy triple with his speed. It’s already picking up, the All-Star Game buzz and MVP chatter.
“That’s irrelevant to what I do on a daily basis,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Simple as that.”
This timeline would have sounded aggressive, if not unrealistic, during the early stages of this rebuild. Just last month, Crow-Armstrong was stuck on zero home runs through 73 plate appearances, with a batting average below .200. Negotiations around a long-term contract extension had fizzled and become a story.
Though Crow-Armstrong’s floor appeared secure as a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder, his career ceiling was undefined. He looked overmatched as a September call-up in 2023, and even a good second half to his rookie season still left him as a below-average major-league hitter. Perhaps this would be a year with some more growing pains, which would be fine if Kyle Tucker carried the Cubs back into the playoffs.
But then Crow-Armstrong blasted two home runs on April 13 at Dodger Stadium. He even blew a kiss to his parents behind home plate, which became a signature moment of ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcast and the start of his unreal hot streak.
“Every time he comes up to the plate,” Cubs catcher Carson Kelly said, “you know something awesome might happen.”
It happened again during Saturday afternoon’s 7-3 win over the Chicago White Sox at the Friendly Confines, where a crowd of 40,134 watched Crow-Armstrong line a 2-run single into center field, steal his 14th base and hustle for a triple. He has played in all of the club’s 46 games, producing 12 homers, 38 RBI, 34 runs scored and an .891 OPS, all while lighting up the defensive metrics.
This is why Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer likes to call it a young man’s game. Entering Saturday, the five players who have generated the highest WAR this season, according to FanGraphs, are Aaron Judge (4.1), Bobby Witt Jr. (2.8), Shohei Ohtani (2.8), Corbin Carroll (2.8) and Crow-Armstrong (2.8).
“Pete’s young,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “When you have players that are this young, they come to the big leagues, and you think, ‘This is what they are.’ And he’s 23. Most guys haven’t made their debut yet. So that’s the beauty of getting to the big leagues at that age.
“It means you’ve succeeded against older players and in player development in the minor leagues. But it also means you’re just new to this. He’s a talented kid. He was a first-round pick for a reason. It’s fun watching what’s possible with players like this.”
Growing up in Southern California, Crow-Armstrong was well known in baseball circles at an early age. He played for USA Baseball at multiple levels of international competition, beginning with the 12-and-under national team. He graduated from the prestigious Harvard-Westlake School, which previously produced first-round picks Max Fried, Lucas Giolito and Jack Flaherty.
The Cubs passed on Crow-Armstrong in the 2020 MLB draft, but they got a second chance to acquire him in the Javier Báez deal with the New York Mets at the 2021 trade deadline, a franchise-altering day in so many ways.
“I always knew he was going to be a star,” said Cubs pitcher Cade Horton, the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft, who remembered watching Crow-Armstrong play in high school. “But this year he’s really found a groove, and it’s awesome to watch. I love playing with guys like that, guys that just want to win and will do anything to help their team.
“He works hard. He knows what he’s good at. He’s going to cause chaos on the bases. He’s going to hit home runs. He’s going to make plays in center. He’s got all the tools.”
The Cubs have needed Crow-Armstrong’s MVP-level stretch while leadoff man Ian Happ and All-Star pitchers Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele are on the injured list. After a great start, Tucker has cooled off a bit. Ryan Pressly lost his job as the closer. Amid those issues, the record is 27-19, and the hardest part of the schedule was front-loaded.
As flashy as Crow-Armstrong’s play can be between the lines, his demeanor off the field is mild-mannered and introspective. “This feeling’s fleeting,” he said. “It doesn’t always stay.”
Crow-Armstrong credited hitting coaches Dustin Kelly and John Mallee for helping him find a consistent stance that accentuates his athleticism. Crow-Armstrong acknowledged it’s easier to hit with runners on base, in a deep lineup anchored by Tucker and Seiya Suzuki. Crow-Armstrong appreciated how teammates such as Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner encouraged him while he was struggling.
In terms of approach, Crow-Armstrong also gave a shoutout to Justin Turner, the team’s 40-year-old hitting guru. Whether you’re feeling good or bad, Crow-Armstrong said, the main focus is “being able to go up there like it’s 0-for-0 every time.” In the end that sense of discipline and concentration makes a long career and truly turns a player into a star. It’s just happening faster than anyone could have anticipated.
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