Cubs Star Still In Driver's Seat For Major Accolade Despite Extended Slump At Plate

Crow-Armstrong looked the part of an NL MVP. He was atop the WAR leaderboards thanks to his impressive numbers at the plate combined with elite defense. He had a .265/.302/.544 slash line in the first half. 25 home runs, 21 doubles, four triples, 71 RBI and 27 stolen bases were recorded. It was truly incredible witnessing him blossom into a legitimate star.

But things have come crashing down to Earth in the second half. Crow-Armstrong has a .212/.261/.363 slash line since play resumed after the All-Star break. He is coming off one of the worst August performances in recent history, mired in a long-term slump.

His OPS was below .450, becoming only the seventh player to perform that poorly in the month of August in the Wild Card Era. Amongst qualified MLB hitters, he had the lowest OPS and wRC+ in the sport. His struggles, along with those of right fielder Kyle Tucker are a big reason the Cubs find themselves in such a deep hole in the NL Central race behind the Milwaukee Brewers.

Pete Crow-Armstrong Picked to Win Platinum Glove Award

While it has certainly been disappointing to see Crow-Armstrong’s production at the plate disappear, he is still finding ways to make a positive impact for the team. Namely, with his glove and defensive prowess. He isn’t bringing those offensive struggles with him out into the field, where he remains elite.

Over at The Athletic (subscription required), this week’s MLB power rankings had a theme of early end-of-season awards. For Chicago, it was their All-Star center fielder who was highlighted by Levi Weaver. His prediction was Crow-Armstrong winning the Platinum Glove.

There is still a month of the regular season remaining. However, it is going to be difficult for any player to catch him in this race. He has put some serious distance between himself and other players when it comes to defensive performance.

His +21 Fielding Run Value is in the 100th percentile. The same goes for his Range (Outs Above Average) which is +20. His Arm Value (+3) and Arm Strength (92.5 mph) are both elite in the 94th percentile, per Baseball Savant. 

+19 Defensive Runs Saved are the most in the sport, regardless of position. His teammate, second baseman Nico Hoerner, isn’t far behind with +18, giving the Cubs the best defensive duo in the MLB. Things could change down the stretch, but Crow-Armstrong has as strong a case as anyone to win the Platinum Glove Award in 2025.