With the Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong is leaving his mark.
Disclaimer: This contributor has known Pete Crow-Armstrong since he was eleven years old, and often threw batting practice to him when he played Little League Baseball.
When Pete Crow-Armstrong – affectionately known as “PCA” in the baseball community – was taken 19th in 2020 draft by the New York Mets, the team considered him their center fielder of the future. Coming out of baseball powerhouse Harvard-Westlake High School in Studio City, California, PCA received a 70 (on the 20-80 scouting scale) as a defender. At that time, it was his bat that scouts were concerned about. And, truth be told, four years on, it remains their main concern.
On the ESPN broadcast of the draft that year, the announcers proclaimed PCA ready to play center field in the big leagues immediately. The Mets, quite obviously, allowed the player to get some seasoning in the minors.
However, in 2021, when the Mets felt they could improve their infield defense by adding Gold Glover Javy Báez, they traded their former first-rounder to the Chicago Cubs, selling short on a hot prospect who, after one season, had not yet flourished. Crow-Armstrong took the move to the Midwest in stride, simply wanting to keep building and growing as a ballplayer, with the hope of making it to the big leagues as quickly as possible.
After a shoulder injury in 2022, PCA’s wish came true in 2023, when the Cubs called the young man up to meet the team in Colorado for his professional debut. His first few games went swimmingly on defense, but the rest left a lot to be desired. Over thirteen games, Crow-Armstrong went 0-for-14 at the plate and just 2-for-4 in stolen base attempts. The 2023 season ended with PCA holding a career batting average of .000. Going into the off-season, the Cubs brass gave the player very specific instructions for his winter workouts, and also pointed him to the many and varied players who struggled in their initial exposure to major league pitching (including Mike Trout and former Cub, Anthony Rizzo). During spring training, Crow-Armstrong told Tyler Bednar of Cronkite News that his inability to help the team down the stretch last season made him hungry to perform better and have a more successful season.
PCA worked hard and had a terrific spring for the Cubs. For many months, his road to becoming an everyday major league player appeared to hinge on Cody Bellinger’s contract status. Bellinger, who signed with the Cubs on a one-year deal prior to the 2023 season, was looking for a nine-figure contract on the free agent market. If Bellinger signed elsewhere, center field would be open for PCA. However, when the Cubs traded two minor league prospects to the Dodgers for first baseman Michael Busch (and reliever Yency Almonte), an alternative route to Wrigley Field was seemingly thwarted, as Busch now filled the infield spot that Bellinger could have played had the club truly desired to have PCA break camp with the team.
