MILWAUKEE — Chicago Cubs baseball fans might be watching the emergence of a star.
In Saturday evening’s 6-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, Pete Crow-Armstrong once again took center stage. The white-hot talent slugged a big three-run homer that gave the Cubs a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning as they moved to 21-13 on the season and won another series. It was Crow-Armstrong’s third homer of the weekend and ninth of the season as the young center fielder continues an early-season tear that has him blossoming into one of the best players in the game.
“This is star-level production, no question about it,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s been the power lately. But great players can affect the game in a lot of ways, and Pete has that ability. Sometimes it’s the defense, sometimes it’s the base running. He’s in a good place right now for sure.”
Crow-Armstrong is tied with Pete Alonso and Fernando Tatis Jr. for the National League lead with 2.2 WAR (FanGraphs). In all of baseball, he’s tied for fifth in homers, fourth in steals (12), and he is first in Outs Above Average (7). He’s the complete package and the type of game-changing force that any team would salivate over.
“He’s definitely got that ‘it’ factor,” starter Jameson Taillon said. “He likes playing in the big moments, he likes performing on the big stages. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Crow-Armstrong has a strong personality. He’s flashy on the field with his speed and power combination and isn’t afraid to display his emotions openly. And his manager wouldn’t dare stifle that part of his game.
“Absolutely not,” Counsell said. “I love it.”
It’s because he’s allowed to fully be himself, the Cubs believe, that Crow-Armstrong has thrived. The team preached patience when the youngster came up late in 2023 and struggled at the plate. His elite glove allowed Counsell to give him that same grace early last season. Eventually, it all clicked late last summer. Since then, he’s been one of the most special talents in the game.
Crow-Armstrong benefits from being surrounded by veteran talent in the lineup. Kyle Tucker is the elite bat this team lacked and is producing at a high level near the top of the lineup. Seiya Suzuki is equaling that offensive production, and Michael Busch and Carson Kelly have each gotten off to torrid starts. Ian Happ is setting the tone at the top, and Nico Hoerner is a consistent contact bat in the middle of the lineup. Even Dansby Swanson’s offense is coming around after a slow start to the season.
He’s far from alone in making sure this offense hums along. But the impact those players provide goes beyond producing offensively. It’s how they’ve handled Crow-Armstrong as a human that stands out. They’ve allowed him to be himself. Whether it’s his bleached blond hair with blue stars from the spring, home run celebrations while rounding the bags or his intense reactions to any big play, they just want him to be comfortable in his skin.
“At the end of the day, everyone’s got their own personality,” Swanson said. “We want everyone to feel confident and comfortable in who they are to be able to perform. If that’s going to be the best version of himself to help us win baseball games, that’s what it needs to be.”
The players around Crow-Armstrong make sure he never gets too high or too low.
“I think we have a really good group out there to remind him of when maybe he’s not being himself,” Counsell said. “That’s important. Think we have a bunch of guys that care about that, are invested in that, and I know Pete appreciates that. Because it can get hard for sure. They’ve been a huge part of his development.”
“(Counsell has) never wanted me to be anything but myself,” Crow-Armstrong said. “He’s just given me a chance to see how I fit in with this team the last couple years. I had a lot of opportunity to fail. They gave me time to find my footing.”
Crow-Armstrong has the type of personality that people gravitate toward. It’s rare to see him alone at his locker as he is often pulled in different directions by members of the media, but he is also a student of the game, sitting in the dugout in between innings going over at-bats or talking defense or base running with coaches and teammates. That he’s so eager to learn and work has allowed his teammates to trust that no matter what, they know they’ll get his best effort.
“I think it’s cool he’s got a pretty good personality,” Taillon said. “I feel like he hasn’t lost that at all. That’s a testament to everyone in the Cubs org for letting him shine bright. A lot of times young guys, people want to tell ’em to stay quiet or whatever. I feel like we’ve done a good job of being like, ‘No, go be yourself, go be a dude, be a star.’”
Swanson has encouraged him to trust his process. He knows the defense and speed on the bases will always be there. But he needed to know who he was in the batter’s box and trust that greatness would come.
Who exactly he is at the plate might not be clear. This power surge was unexpected. The ceiling appears quite high. But greatness seems within reach.
Crow-Armstrong is being embraced by a city desperate for a winner and a team eager to get back to the postseason. And he’s returning that love with the type of passion and performance that’s impossible to ignore.
“I love playing baseball,” Crow-Armstrong said. “It’s harder to love it sometimes when it’s a struggle like last year. This is some of the most fun I’ve had playing baseball. A big reason for that is who I’m around every day.”
(Photo: John Fisher / Getty Images)
