Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has been wowing the Wrigley Field bleacher bums with a highlight reel of defensive gems for just over a year now. However, the 22-year-old's bat had left much to be desired during the first 78 games of his major league career.
Crow-Armstrong went hitless over a 13-game, 14-at-bat Major League Baseball debut last September, and he was hitting a repugnant .196 as of August 3 of this season.
But then something clicked for the prized prospect that the Cubs pried away from the New York Mets for then-fan favorite and superstar shortstop Javier Baez, who has been showing that he is every bit as competent with the bat as he is with his glove.
Over the past 45 games, Crow-Armstrong has hit .309 and launched seven of his season total of 10 home runs, the tenth coming on Sunday to help pace Chicago to a 6-2 win at the Colorado Rockies.
The victory saved the visiting Cubs from being swept in a three-game series against the National League West cellar dwellers.
According to Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly, the key to Crow-Armstrong's sudden offensive ascendancy came down to confidence. Kelly told MLB.com:
"The biggest thing is Pete knows that he's supposed to be here. He's a really good Major League player. I think last year when he came up — and even at the beginning of the year — he was still trying to figure that part out. ‘Do I belong here? Can I put up numbers here? Can I play every single day? What you’re seeing now is he knows he belongs here, and everyone else knows that he belongs here."
Crow-Armstrong said that the game has slowed down for him "A lot" since his MLB debut on Sept. 11, 2023.
The rookie outfielder's 45-game stretch has brought his batting average up to .239 on the season. His offensive surge this season, when combined with taking a look at his minor league numbers over four seasons, points to a player that Cubs fans could reasonably expect to hit in the high .200s.
With the type of Gold Glove-caliber defensive skills Crow-Armstrong has already showcased, along with his fleet-footed abilities on the basepaths — he has 27 stolen bases through 110 games this season, with six of those coming during his hot stretch at the plate — the potential of a batting average bordering on .300 projects to a type of player with many All-Star Game appearances in his future.
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