The Chicago Cubs made one of the greatest trades in franchise history when they sent franchise icon Javier Baez to the New York Mets in exchange for Pete Crow-Armstrong. Since he arrived in Chicago, Crow-Armstrong has dazzled with his speed, defense, and personality, epitomizing many of the defining characteristics of El Mago.
The question surrounding him was whether he could ever become a league-average bat to support his other tools. With average offensive output, he would become an extremely valuable player based on his speed and defense alone. But what happens if he added elite offense to his other sensational traits? The answer is that he would simply become one of the best players in all of baseball.
A star is born
So far this season, the former first-round pick has slashed .279/.313/.553/.866 for a 141 OPS+. In addition, he’s added 12 homers, 39 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. His offensive numbers have far exceeded even the most unrealistic expectations. Pairing this with his MLB-leading 8 outs above average among outfielders, and it’s easy to see why he has accumulated 2.9 fWAR just 50 games into the season. That mark is good for second-best in the majors.
11 HR (1st) 32 RBI (1st) .545 SLG (1st) .365 wOBA (1st) 136 wRC+ (1st) 2.6 WAR (1st) 10 FRV (1st) 9 OAA (1st)
Amidst his ascension to becoming one of he best young players in the sport, the Cubs attempted to lock up the 23-year-old for the foreseeable future. It was reported that Crow-Armstrong declined a $75 million extension earlier in the season. He did so with hopes of securing a bigger deal later on.
It’s safe to say that decision looks to be a good one for the young outfielder.
Making a recent appearance on 670 the Score, Cubs president of Baseball operations Jed Hoyer had some high praise for the third-year big leaguer.
“He’s been remarkable,” Hoyer said. “Right now, he’s beating (teams) in so many different ways… When Javy (Baez) was at his prime in 2018 or so, there were a lot of ways he could help you win a game on a given night…It might be with his glove, it might be with great baserunning, it might be with power.”
Then Hoyer explained the Cubs’ rationale for not re-negotiating with him during this season.
“It’s something that I’m sure at some point, we will revisit,” Hoyer said. “But right now, we’re letting him focus on the season.”
A true five-tool player
PCA, as he’s referred to by fans, has been the true definition of a five-tool player this year. His speed, defense, contact, power, and arm strength have all contributed to changing games this season. While he could stand to be a little more patient in the box, he does plenty of damage when he makes contact.
The Cubs have had one of, if not the, best outfields in the Majors this season. While being flanked by Kyle Tucker and the combination of Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, the Cubs outfield has powered the offense to a 30-20 record.
Time will tell whether or not PCA can maintain these astronomical numbers. But one thing is for sure: the Cubs have a budding superstar on their hands.
Cubs President Makes Bold Comparison on Pete Crow-Armstrong