Pete Crow-Armstrong Back In Cactus League Lineup On Tuesday
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (hamstring) is back in Tuesday's Cactus League lineup against the San Diego Padres, starting in center field and batting seventh. Right-hamstring tightness caused Crow-Armstrong to be scratched from Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but it obviously wasn't a very serious concern since he's back in the lineup a day later and playing center field. The former first-rounder (19th overall) in 2020 has been hot in the early going in spring training, going 7-for-14 with a homer, three doubles, four RBI and a stolen base in five games played. The 22-year-old is expected to be Chicago's starting center fielder in 2025 after slashing .237/.286/.384 with 10 homers, 47 RBI and 27 steals in 123 games last year in his first full year in the bigs. Speed and defense are the main draw for Crow-Armstrong, but his strong finish to the season gives hope to fantasy managers that he could take the next step as a No.3/4 fantasy outfielder.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Scratched From Monday's Lineup
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (hamstring) was scratched from Monday's lineup with right hamstring tightness. Maddie Lee of The Sun Times noted that this is a precautionary move. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status during the week in case this injury begins to linger. The former top prospect received his first full look at the majors last season and is expected to be the team's everyday center fielder in 2025. After a slow start in the first half where the 22-year-old posted a .203/.253/.329 line, Crow-Armstrong flipped the script in the second half as he held a much-higher .262/.310/.425 line. Across 123 contests, he swiped an impressive 27 bags and placed in the 99th percentile in sprint speed. Even if his bat needs more time to adjust to the major leagues, his elite speed makes him a viable No. 3/No. 4 OF in category formats.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Not Expected To Open Season As Leadoff Hitter
According to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Chicago Cubs are not expected to utilize young outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong as their leadoff hitter early in the season. Manager Craig Counsell said he is "open-minded" about the decision but will probably not have him open the season in that role. The head skipper also noted that Crow-Armstrong's hesitance to steal bases late in the season is a part of this decision. While Crow-Armstrong began to find his footing in the second half of 2024 as he held a .262/.310/.425 line with ten stolen bases and eight doubles, he swiped only one of those bags in September. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his progress during spring training, as his outlook would be altered if he moved to the bottom half of the lineup. As a result, this would likely make Ian Happ or Nico Hoerner (elbow) the top candidates for the leadoff spot. Given Happ's elite on-base skills, he would have a path to tallying a career-high in runs batting in front of Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki.
Pete Crow-Armstrong On Base Five Times On Wednesday
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong went a perfect 5-for-5 in getting on base in Wednesday's 14-10 win over the Pirates, collecting four hits and was even intentionally walked in his fifth plate appearance. The 22-year-old has been hot as of late, with multi-hit games in four of his last six, going 11-for-23 (.478) with three extra-base hits, seven RBI, nine runs scored, a 5:6 BB:K, and three stolen bases over that stretch. After seeing his batting average dip all the way down to .180 on July 26, the former first-round draft pick has raised it all the way up to .233, not far below the major league average of .244. Experiencing such futility over his first 66 games, it might be hard to trust him leading up to the fantasy playoffs, but he does have the pedigree and for those willing to ride the wave, the youngster is still available in almost 70% of Yahoo leagues.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Collects Three Hits, Swipes Three Bags On Monday
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had a wild day on Monday as his team blew out the Pittsburgh Pirates 18-8. Crow-Armstrong went 3-for-5 with three singles, a walk, an RBI, and three stolen bases. Crow-Armstrong has had an underwhelming year at the plate, but he has been better lately. In his past 15 games, he is slashing .306/.382/.633 with four homers and nine RBI. Despite his inconsistencies at the plate, though, he has emerged as one of the league's best base stealers, stealing 26 of 27 bags this season (ranking 15th in the MLB). Fantasy managers searching for speed or an outfielder should consider adding Crow-Armstrong, as he's only rostered in 15% of Yahoo leagues.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Races For Inside-The-Park Homer On Friday
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong laced a line drive off the right field wall and scampered all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run in Friday's 6-3 win over the Marlins. It was the fastest recorded time around the bases this season as the speedster did it in just 14.1 seconds. The 22-year-old also singled, walked, and scored twice. The former first-rounder's batting average sat at .183 entering July 28, but since then he's gone 22-for-75 (.293) with four doubles, two triples, three home runs, and five stolen bases. Now batting .216 on the season, he could be a difference-maker down the stretch as he's shown the pop for extra-base hits and has the base-stealing chops to make him one of the most dangerous runners in the game, so long as he's getting on base, which he's finally doing.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Swipes 20th Bag In Two-Hit Day
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and a run scored in Wednesday's 13-4 win over the Reds. The speedster also stole his 20th base of the season. Despite the stat-stuffing day, the 22-year-old has had a disappointing season to this point, stolen bases aside. The former first-rounder is slashing just .194/.239/.311 over 213 plate appearances. Perhaps with some regular at-bats he'll find a groove at some point, but unless you are in need of steals, the left-handed hitter should be left on the waiver wire.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was 2-for-3 with two solo homers and a stolen base in the Cubs' win over the Cardinals on Sunday. It was an unexpected power surge for the 22-year-old who now has three homers on the season. Crow-Armstrong is hitting .203 but does have 17 steals on the season. If he can bring up the average, he could be a fantasy contributor with the speed he has shown at the big-league level. The rookie will look to build on this performance in the second half.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Recalled And Starting Thursday
The Chicago Cubs recalled outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong from Triple-A Iowa ahead of Thursday's game against Milwaukee. He'll start in center field and bat eighth against Brewers right-hander Colin Rea. The Cubs optioned Luis Vazquez back to Triple-A in a corresponding move. Crow-Armstrong spent three weeks in Chicago before being sent back down on May 20. During that time the 22-year-old went 13-for-55 (.236) with four extra-base hits (one HR), nine RBI, four runs scored, and five stolen bases. The former first-round draft pick is a career .295 hitter in the minors but has yet to see that success carry over to the majors, as he also went 0-for-14 in a brief 2023 stint with the Cubs. If he can figure it out, he'll be a threat to steal a ton of bases, so managers in redraft leagues should keep a close eye out for signs of a breakout.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Tallies Two Hits In Three Straight Games
Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong tallied two hits, including a home run, on Thursday evening. Since his return to Triple-A Iowa on May 20, the top prospect on the Northside has tallied two hits in each of his three games and launched two home runs. The 22-year-old swiped five bases and hit for a .236 AVG through 23 games in the majors this season. Crow-Armstrong has swiped eight bags in 22 games in Triple-A this season which shows the elite speed the young outfielder has. The former first-round selection should be expected to re-join the major league roster later this summer and should be considered a must-roster simply due to his high stolen base output alone. He should already be rostered in all keeper and dynasty formats and is worth stashing in deer redraft leagues.
Pete Crow-Armstrong
• CF
•
Cubs
