Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong filled up the stat sheet on Wednesday, going 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, one run, and two stolen bases in a 7-6 win over the Dodgers. The youngster has been on fire as of late, as this is his second straight three-hit game and his fifth in his last 13. He started off the season on a cold note, but is now slashing .294/.339/.549 with five home runs, 17 RBI, 21 runs, and 10 stolen bases through 26 games. He's already at half of his 2024 home run total that spanned 123 games, and it looks like the breakout that many hoped for has officially arrived.
Pete Crow-Armstrong's Two-Homer Day Fuels Cubs Win
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong went off on Sunday night in the Cubs' game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 23-year-old hit two home runs in the game and a triple, tallying 11 total bases in Chicago's 4-2 win. PCA's first dinger came on the second pitch he saw from Tyler Glasnow when he led off the third inning. The second was served up by reliever Blake Treinen in the seventh inning and gave the Cubs the lead. PCA is hitting just .229 so far, but he is an everyday fixture in the Cubs' lineup thanks to his elite defensive skills in center field. On the season, he has 13 runs scored and is near the top of the leaderboard in stolen bases with six. The Cubs next face the Padres in San Diego, followed by a home set against the Diamondbacks.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Chicago Cubs have been in contract discussions. The Cubs offered Crow-Armstrong a deal worth "roughly $75 million," but the two sides could not close the deal. The Cubs initially acquired Crow-Armstrong from the New York Mets during the 2021 MLB trade deadline in a move that sent shortstop Javier Baez to the Mets. Crow-Armstrong made his MLB debut during the 2023 season but did not become a full-time player until last summer. In 2024, Crow-Armstrong faced some growing pains but held a strong .262/.310/.465 slash line with 10 stolen bases during the second half. However, Crow-Armstrong has had a rough start to the 2025 season and has posted a .200/.273/.250 line. Fantasy managers should expect Crow-Armstrong to continue to be the everyday center fielder in Chicago, and it appears the Cubs hope to keep him on the Northside for the foreseeable future.
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.
Pete Crow-Armstrong
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Cubs
