When the Chicago Cubs brought top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong up to the MLB roster for the third time in his career, manager Craig Counsell was very direct about why. Counsell told PCA he was here for his defense in center field. Whatever he could give them on offense was merely a bonus.
That was in May. Now, Pete Crow-Armstrong may be the heart and soul of the Cubs offense. This weekend in Miami should not have been a surprise to anyone.
In the last month of play, PCA is batting .294 with an OPS of .906. Whenever he is on base, he’s an immediate threat to steal. It’s almost guaranteed. But there’s no need to steal when you hit them over the fence. Or, if you can fly around the bases in 14 seconds.
As the calendar turns to the season’s final month, Pete Crow-Armstrong’s contributions are far more valuable than just defensive. His offense is not complimenting the magic he produces roaming the grass at Wrigley Field. How did he get to this point? The Cubs rallied around him.
When Pete Crow-Armstrong came to Chicago as a September call-up in 2023, he went 0-17 at the plate. His first stint with the Cubs in 2024 did not see much success either. Then, he tore it up for AAA Iowa the following week, forcing the Cubs to bring him back. This time, he stayed.
After an injury to center fielder Cody Bellinger, PCA was given plenty more opportunities to stay and be in the lineup. What we saw different from times before was he was getting on base and moving around the bases. All components of his slash substantially rose.
Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required) wrote about how confidence and routine are key components in Pete Crow-Armstrong’s turnaround. Veteran players and coaches on the Cubs did not let PCA stay down for long on a tough day. When some young players struggle, they spiral. The Cubs would not let that happen.
Instead, they helped him maintain his confidence while helping him build a routine. Repeating and maintaining routines can help players keep cool and easily move along even after a 0-4 day at the plate.
Baseball is a game of failure. Some players are in the Hall of Fame because they failed around 70% of the time. To keep going is strength, but to improve and maintain is greatness.
Pete Crow-Armstrong has plenty of career left, hopefully with the majority (or all) of it spent in a Cubs uniform. While the jump-start may not have gone as quickly or smoothly as many had hoped, watching it happen in real-time has been a privilege. There is still a long way to go, though.
