center fielder Pete Crowe-Armstrong and this chicago cubs A long-term contract extension is being finalized, sources told ESPN on Monday, locking up one of last season’s breakout stars after winning a Gold Glove and posting the team’s first 30-30 season in three decades.
Crowe-Armstrong, who turns 24 on Wednesday, solidified himself as the best defensive center fielder in baseball last season and was strong offensively in his first full major league season, leading Chicago to an extension deal over the winter.
Crowe-Armstrong reaching the All-Star Game last year and being included on the United States’ World Baseball Classic roster this year came after a season in which he led the majors in above-average scoring and proved himself to be quite capable at the plate.
His first half was particularly impressive, as he hit .265/.302/.544 with 25 home runs and 27 stolen bases. Although Crowe-Armstrong struggled in the second half, finishing with only six home runs, eight steals and a .216/.262/.372 slash line, his MVP-caliber talent convinced the Cubs that the second half was more unusual than the first.
Known as PCA, Crowe-Armstrong was selected in the first round. New York Mets in 2020 from Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles, one of the best high school programs in the country. Barely a year later, desperate to upgrade at the trade deadline, the Mets dealt Crowe-Armstrong to the Cubs javier baez And trevor williams.
Almost immediately, New York expressed regret over the deal. Crowe-Armstrong enjoyed success at both Class A levels in his first full minor league season in 2023 and earned a spot in the big leagues as a September call-up the following year.
Although he showed glimpses of stardom in 2024, Crowe-Armstrong’s power did not come into play until 2025, when he doubled 37 times in addition to his 31 home runs and 35 stolen bases, giving the Cubs their first 30–30 season since Sammy Sosa in 1995.
Questions about Crowe-Armstrong’s offense have as much to do with plate discipline as anything else. His .287 on-base percentage was in the bottom 10% of qualified hitters last season, and he struck out 155 times compared to 29 walks. Although others with similar strikeout-to-walk ratios have had long and successful major league careers – salvador perez, teoscar hernandez And Baez qualifies – an improvement from Crowe-Armstrong would go a long way to fulfilling his potential. Crowe-Armstrong said that has been his sole focus this spring.
And the chances are quite high considering that even with that on-base percentage, Crowe-Armstrong posted 6.0 Baseball-Reference wins above replacement last year. Much of this is due to his excellent glove and arm in center field, as well as his high-quality baserunning, elite sprint speed, and top-notch instincts on the basepaths.
Chicago, which went 92-70 last year and lost to National League Central champion Milwaukee in the division series after defeating San Diego in the wild-card series, is the favorite to win the division after the signing Alex Bregmanbusiness for the right hand Edward Cabrera and strengthening their bullpen during the winter.
