Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong overreactions may be accurate

Early in the 2026 season, the Cubs announced that they had agreed to a six-year $115 million contract extension with Crow-Armstrong. His breakout 2025 season which saw him hit .247/.287/.481 with 31 home runs, 95 RBI, and 35 stolen bases set high expectations for his future. After all, he was the first Chicago player since Sammy Sosa to post a 30-30 season.

Regardless of his overall success in 2025, though, the fact is that he struggled mightily in the second half of the season. What is more, those struggles have carried over to early 2026, and many are starting to wonder if his first half output was merely a flash in the pan.

Per Bleacher Report:

“It’s a particularly concerning start for Crow-Armstrong when you consider that after he started in the All-Star Game last summer, he hit just .216 with a .634 OPS in the second half of the season.

“Even in the first half of the 2025 season, Crow-Armstrong posted just a .302 on-base percentage. He was still able to ride an .847 OPS into being an early-season NL MVP candidate because he homered 25 times, but Crow-Armstrong is overly reliant on hitting the ball out of the park offensively. When he’s not doing that, he doesn’t provide a ton of value because he doesn’t draw walks or hit for a high batting average.

“The good news for the Cubs is that regardless of what he’s doing at the plate, Crow-Armstrong is arguably the top defender at any position in baseball, as evidenced by the six defensive runs saved and four outs above average that he’s already accumulated in 2026.

“Still, the Cubs have to be worried that Crow-Armstrong isn’t going to ever sniff the offensive output that he posted during the first half of the 2025 season.”

As noted, Crow-Armstrong’s defensive abilities in center field make him a valuable player. However, fans and the Cubs organization probably expected much, much more from him at the plate when he signed that contract extension.

It has only been 21 games so far this season, but his struggles date back to after the All-Star break last season. With this in mind, one truly has to wonder if he is just in the midst of an incredibly prolonged slump or if the first half of his 2025 season was just a brief flash of offensive brilliance from a mediocre bat.