Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong joins rare HR-steal club in win vs. Nationals
Pete Crow-Armstrong is a former first-round draft pick who was the main selling point in the 2021 trade the New York Mets completed with the Chicago Cubs for Javier Baez. So, he was always projected to do big things. But few people expected him to morph into a complete talent at just 23 years of age.
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The Cubs center fielder displayed excellent defense and speed in a 123-game sample size in 2024, but he managed little production in the batter's box. Crow-Armstrong's struggles continued to begin the 2025 season, as he slashed a ghastly .197/.264/.258/.521 in his first 17 games. It did not take long for everything to click, however. Fast forward to now, and Crow-Armstrong is one of MLB's best players.
He punctuated Chicago's fantastic 60-game start (38-22) by achieving a truly remarkable feat in Tuesday's 8-3 win versus the Washington Nationals (28-32). The Los Angeles, California native hit a double, scored two runs, walked twice and recorded two stolen bases. His active outing lifted him into rarefied air. Crow-Armstrong is the fourth-fastest player in the modern era (since 1900) to belt 15-plus home runs and steal 20-plus bags, trailing only Bobby Bonds, Ken Williams and Eric Davis, per the MLB X account.
Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong has raced his way toward the top early in 2025
And the myth grows. The Cubs have one of the most lethal lineups in baseball, with Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki both posting Silver Slugger-worthy campaigns so far, but the man they call PCA is a huge reason why they are tied with the Mets for the top record in the National League. He is leaving a sizable imprint all over the field, displaying his entire skill set en route to posting an NL-best 3.6 WAR.
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Pete Crow-Armstrong has 15 homers, 21 stolen bases, a .281 batting average, .562 slugging percentage, .880 OPS, 51 RBIs and 15 doubles this season. Although it is still early, he is firmly in the NL MVP race. Actually, one can argue he is leading the pack right now. What is maybe most astounding about this terrific run is that there is considerable room for improvement.
The left-handed hitter has a substandard .313 on-base percentage and concerning 43.8 chase rate, illustrating a lack of discipline at the dish. And yet, he is still smashing the ball. If Crow-Armstrong can become a bit more selective during at-bats, he could enter truly special territory. As it stands, PCA is already joining exclusive clubs and epitomizing two-way star power.
Crow-Armstrong and the Cubbies will try to stay in full-throttle mode when they return to Nationals Park on Wednesday.
Related: Paul Skenes trade grades for ex-MLB GM's Cubs-Pirates hypothetical
Related: Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong emerging as legitimate MVP candidate
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