Pete Crow-Armstrong is doing what every Chicago Cubs fan dreamed of when he was acquired back in 2021 for Javier Baez. The center fielder always possessed all the tools to become a star in MLB, but that didn’t mean he had it all figured out. The defense was elite from day one. The speed on the bases and chaos created brought back memories of Baez, but so did the frustrating at-bats. Yet, as much as PCA’s game mirrored El Mago, the 24-year-old has done something Baez never could.
Halfway through the 2026 season, Crow-Armstrong hasn’t simply transformed the type of hitter he is; he’s become a baseball unicorn. Yes, we’ve seen the combo of power and speed in the past; PCA showed that last year, when he had the Cubs’ first 30/30 season since the 1990s. He’s doing it again this year, but now he’s backing it up with everything else.
After going 2-for-3 with two walks and scoring the game-winning run on Seiya Suzuki’s fly ball to left field on Monday night, Crow-Armstrong now has a slash line of .284/.372/.509. As we head into the final game of June, the center fielder is on his way to winning Player of the Month in the National League. He’s recorded a 1.225 OPS, and while the home runs and steals are fun, it’s the plate discipline that should excite fans the most.
Crow-Armstrong has a .462 OBP in 25 games in June. That leads the National League and is only second behind Yandy Diaz among all MLB hitters. He’s hitting .376 this month, but Crow-Armstrong has also increased his walk rate to 13.4%.
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That brings us to this stat. Think about how awful Crow-Armstrong was through April 13; the first 16 games resulted in a .504 OPS. He was striking out 31% of the time with a walk rate below 5%. Just one home run in 68 plate appearances to start the season.
Now, through 85 games, there is only one player in MLB with a batting average of at least .280, at least 17 home runs and 20 stolen bases, and a walk rate above 10%: Pete Crow-Armstrong.
The numbers match the eye test because when you see the way Crow-Armstrong is working through his plate appearances now, you can see the difference. It’s why he leads the Cubs in OBP this year. It’s why he’s not only drawing more walks this year 38 compared to 29 in all of 2025, but he’s also crushing the ball, making more contact, and earning a higher batting average.
As a collective, we don’t give players as much runway as they probably should have. It does take some guys time to get it all to click. Sometimes it never does, and that player can still be a good MLB performer. And then you have Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has completely changed his profile at the plate. He has all the tools, and he’s using all the tools.
Right now, there aren’t many players comparable to what Pete Crow-Armstrong does on a baseball field. It’s special. Enjoy it to the fullest, Cubs fans.
