Can Dynamic Skill Set of Cubs Emerging Star Outfielder Help Keep Him in MVP Race?

The Chicago Cubs have received some incredible production from players up and down their roster thus far this season.

There have been standouts on both the pitcher’s mound and in the lineup, with nine different players recording a bWAR of at least 1.0 through May 14.

However, there is one breakout performer who stands out from the rest of his teammates: center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Acquired from the New York Mets ahead of the 2021 MLB trade deadline in exchange for shortstop Javier Baez, the Cubs look to have pulled off one of the biggest fleecings in recent history.

The Mets had Baez through the end of that campaign, which didn’t even result in a trip to the postseason, before he departed in free agency, signing a six-year, $140 million deal with the Detroit Tigers.

Chicago is now reaping the benefits of a 23-year-old dynamic, two-way playmaker scratching the surface of his potential in his second MLB season, producing at an MVP-caliber level.

Can Pete-Crow Armstrong Contend for the NL MVP Award?

His best skills to this point are his speed and defense, which have gone hand-in-hand, already propelling him to be in the discussion as the best defender in baseball.

Crow-Armstrong seems like a surefire bet to win the Gold Glove Award numerous times in his career and is building a strong case to win the Platinum Glove as well. 

He has already produced a +10 Fielding Run Value, which is in the 100th percentile, to go along with a +9 Outs Above Average. All of the tools are there with elite jumps and arm strength, making him a legitimate weapon in center field.

His speed translates to the basepaths, where he has produced a +3 Baserunning Run Value, which is in the 98th percentile. He already has 13 stolen bases, putting him in a position to potentially do something a Cubs player hasn’t done since the 1930s.

The biggest question when it comes to Crow-Armstrong is whether or not those skills will be able to measure up to players who may produce bigger numbers offensively.

As of now, he is keeping pace in the counting stats.

Crow-Armstrong has 11 home runs, 11 doubles, one triple and 30 RBI with a .266/.306/.538.

The aggressiveness he shows at the plate is a double-edged sword. It is the style that has aided in him breaking out at the plate, elevating to All-Star status already, but has led to some concerning underlying stats.

His chase rate is in the first percentile at 42.9%. Whiff rate, strikeout rate and walk rate are all well below average as well, per Baseball Savant. Crow-Armstrong doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard, so it will be interesting to see if he can maintain those counting stats without an adjustment being made.

For now, he deserves to be in the early MVP discussion, along with teammate Kyle Tucker. He will almost assuredly pop up on some ballots when it is all said and done, with a very impressive 2.5 WAR already being accumulated.