Pete Crow-Armstrong thrilling fans, igniting Cubs’ clubhouse: ‘He’s a game-changer’
Maybe it’s a triple, which has a reputation as baseball’s most exciting play.
Or maybe it’s a stolen base. Or a running catch in center field. Or a bunt.
Whatever it is, Pete Crow-Armstrong seems to make it extra exciting.
That’s the nature of the Cubs’ center fielder, who recently inspired a bobblehead giveaway with flames at his feet and a removable batting helmet, just to hammer home how fast the guy can move.
The Cubs have received contributions from up and down the batting order as they’ve surged through the season’s opening weeks, a necessity to rank where the Cubs do, as the sport’s highest scoring offense.
Though everyone’s been involved, it seems that Crow-Armstrong, the No. 7 hitter, has been right in the middle of everything the No. 1 offense has done.
“Pete’s ability is to affect all facets of a game,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said before Sunday’s game. “I don’t think there’s many players right now in the game that can do it to the level that Pete does. And that’s why he’s so much fun to watch.”
Indeed, fans are having a blast watching Crow-Armstrong do it all, chanting his name when he comes to the plate and roaring when he puts on a show.
There was perhaps no better episode of that show than last week’s two-night star turn against the Dodgers, when Crow-Armstrong went 6-for-9 with two homers, a double, seven RBIs, three runs scored and a couple stolen bases.
He added another hit, run scored and RBI – plus two more stolen bases – Friday against the Phillies, also bunting home a run. He was hitless Saturday, but he made a stellar running catch in center field to remind that those wheels are just as useful on outfield grass as they are on the base paths.
“He’s a game-changer in all areas of the game,” infielder Jon Berti told the Sun-Times on Sunday. “Offensively, he’s got some power, obviously. He runs the bases extraordinarily well, and he puts pressure on the defense. Defensively, he makes such great catches out in center and covers a lot of ground out there.
“It ignites a lot of energy into this clubhouse.”
Crow-Armstrong always had these tools, and Cubs fans saw flashes in the 136 big league games he had played coming into this season. That aforementioned bobblehead commemorated his inside-the-park home run last August.
In 2025, though, his production has been on another level. In his first 28 games, he hit five homers, stole a league-leading 12 bases and walked six times. He had 10 homers, 27 steals and 21 walks in 123 games last year.
Crow-Armstrong’s .851 OPS, fourth-best among qualified hitters in the red-hot Cubs lineup, ranked 32nd in the sport coming into Sunday.
Considering how he’s hitting, has there been any thought from Cubs brass to moving him up from his No. 7 spot in the lineup?
“I think our lineup is executing at a real high level right now,” Counsell said Friday. “The way it’s structured? Who’s around you determines who your matchups are later in the game. We’ve got Pete kind of insulated, so he’s going to get a lot of right-handers, and he’s been really performing against right-handed pitching.
“I think we’re in a good spot with it right now. It’s more important who plays than the order [they’re in]. They’re producing, so no intention [of changing it up] right now.”
The Cubs are quick to remind that there’s a lot of season left. Offensive production has a habit of ebbing and flowing during baseball’s six-month marathon.
The Cubs’ bats could cool. So could Crow-Armstrong’s.
But with his ability to contribute a thrilling, game-altering play with his feet or his glove, should the bat quiet, Crow-Armstrong can assure he’ll be firing up the crowd and his teammates all summer.
“He’s a really entertaining baseball player,” Counsell said. “The fans will tell you.”