Chicago Cubs Star In Rarified Air

The Chicago Cubs, their fans, and the baseball community have been shocked this year by the explosion of Pete Crow-Armstrong. The speedy outfielder has been one of the best storylines in MLB this season. He will be recognized at the All-Star Game as the starting center fielder for the National League. As we get closer to the midsummer classic, Crow-Armstrong is putting himself in rarified air with his first-half performance.

Chicago Cubs’ PCA Joining Elite Company and Leaving Pack Behind

The Chicago Cubs are currently atop the NL Central standings and are considered one of the favorites to come out of the National League. That is due in no small part to the efforts of Crow-Armstrong. In his third season with the Chicago Cubs, “PCA” is coming into his own as a five-tool superstar. He can run like nobody’s business, he has flashed the leather all year, and he has shown an absolute cannon from the outfield. The shocker this season has been his performance at the plate. His power surge and ability to get the ball in play have been a surprise for even the most optimistic of fans.

With two long balls against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, Crow-Armstrong brought his total up to 25 for the year. Paired with 27 stolen bases, that gave him 25/25 before the All-Star break, making him the third player to accomplish that feat. He joins Bobby Bonds and Eric Davis, who did it in 1973 and 1987, respectively. PCA set his own club up as well. With the two home runs, he brought his RBI total up to 70. Neither Bonds nor Davis reached 70 RBI in those seasons. Crow-Armstrong now stands alone as the only player in MLB history to have 25 HR, 25 SB, and 70 RBI before the All-Star break.

Back in 2021, when the Chicago Cubs traded Javier Baez to the New York Mets for PCA, they didn’t have this in mind. At the time, the team was looking at other players in the Mets’ farm system, Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty. PCA was injured at the time of the trade, and between the uncertainty of his health and the willingness of the Chicago Cubs to throw Trevor Williams in the deal, the Mets gave up their former first-round pick, and years later, he is showing why he was so highly-touted. His rise has been meteoric. The Chicago Cubs are hoping that it continues and his legend grows.