The Chicago Cubs lineup features outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong batting eighth against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, May 1.
Crow-Armstrong opened the year in the cleanup spot, at least against right-handed pitching. He would typically bat lower in the order when Chicago faced a left-handed starter. Crow-Armstrong was bumped to eighth in the order after a slow start at the plate. He’s even batted ninth a handful of times this season.
A hot stretch to begin the week offered hope that Crow-Armstrong could dig himself out of the bottom of the order. He recorded hits in all three games against the San Diego Padres, including a pair of home runs. Crow-Armstrong launched a two-run homer and added an RBI groundout in the final game of the series on Wednesday, April 29. The groundout gave the Cubs a lead they wouldn’t relinquish en route to a 5-4 win. Despite heating up, Crow-Armstrong remains buried in the lineup against Zac Gallen today.
Chicago Cubs Lineup Against Arizona Diamondbacks: Pete-Crow Armstrong Hitting 8th Again
Crow-Armstrong has been at his best when batting at the bottom of the order. In 15 at-bats out of the No. 9 hole, he has a tremendous 1.063 OPS. Two of his three home runs this season have come as the eighth hitter in the lineup. Part of the reason he’s been better in those two lineup slots has been his uninspiring production at the top of the order. Crow-Armstrong has slashed a tepid .250/.294/.344 in 32 at-bats out of the cleanup spot. He’s 1-for-12 hitting sixth or seventh this season.
Chicago hit Crow-Armstrong fourth in the lineup for the majority of his reps last season. PCA was in the cleanup spot for 223 at-bats. He delivered a solid .776 OPS. The No. 7 spot was his second-most popular position in the lineup. He spent 147 ABs there, and delivered a strong .908 OPS. Crow-Armstrong had just 19 at-bats all season in which he batted eighth or ninth in 2025.
Can Crow-Armstrong Turn Around His Slow Start?
Crow-Armstrong has an 88 wRC+ across 128 plate appearances in 2026. He’s getting on base at a career-best .307 clip, mostly due to a slight uptick in walk rate, but the rest of his numbers are concerning. Crow-Armstrong has a massive 29.7% strikeout rate. He showed swing-and-miss issues in his first big-league stint in 2023. The outfielder had largely smoothed out that flaw the past two seasons. PCA has posted a strikeout rate only slightly above league average the past two seasons.
The other issue is the power. Crow-Armstrong slugged 31 home runs in 157 games last season. He’s left the yard just three times in the first month of the 2026 campaign. The 24-year-old has a meager .121 ISO and a .362 slugging percentage. It’s not the type of power typically seen in the middle of the order, particularly in a lineup with playoff aspirations. Crow-Armstrong piled up 95 RBI last season as a key cog on an offense that scored the fifth-most runs in the league. He’s driven in just 13 runs this season. Despite PCA’s slow start, Chicago is third in scoring to begin the season, behind only the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals.
Cubs Lineup Buries Pete Crow-Armstrong Against Diamondbacks