Stop fighting it. Accept it. Enjoy it. The Cubs have a 23-year-old star in Pete Crow-Armstrong.
PCA homered twice in Friday night’s 13-6 win over the Reds and while the final score was lopsided Crow-Armstrong led a comeback that started in the seventh inning. Having already homered early in the game, PCA stepped up to the plate with the bases load and the Cubs down 6-4 in the seventh.
Right-handed pitcher Tony Santillan was on thin ice after giving up back-to-back singles that brought the Cubs within two and PCA made sure not to let him off the hook.
Crow-Armstrong’s 14th home run of the season was his first career grand slam in the majors. It capped off another huge night as the left-handed hitter went 3-for-5, with 6 RBI batting out of the cleanup spot.
For a brief period PCA was the new RBI leader in the National League with 45 runs driven in, but then Seiya Suzuki blasted a three-run homer in the eighth inning as the Cubs offense continued to pound the Reds’ bullpen.
Suzuki now has 46 RBI to lead the NL and is currently second among all MLB hitters, trailing Rafael Devers, who has 47 RBI. Yet, it’s PCA who is still the most valuable player in the league as he currently sits atop the NL leaderboard with a 3.2 fWAR.
The only player in baseball who has been more valuable so far in 2025 than PCA is Aaron Judge. Yeah, that’s superstar company that PCA is currently with.
Dansby Swanson put the cherry on top in Friday’s win, blasting a two-run homer in the ninth inning.
Maybe I’m getting way too ahead of myself, but that game brought back some 2016 feels for me. Crushing the Reds in Cincinnati, more of that please.
