Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, affectionately known as “PCA,” is enjoying a remarkable 2025 season, culminating in his first career All-Star selection. The 23-year-old phenom has emerged as one of baseball’s most exciting young talents, showcasing a rare blend of power, speed, and defensive prowess that has captivated fans and analysts alike.
As of the All-Star break on July 13, 2025, Crow-Armstrong’s statistics paint a picture of a true breakout year. In 95 games, he boasts a .265 batting average with an impressive .847 OPS, driven by a .544 slugging percentage and a .302 on-base percentage. His offensive production includes 99 hits, 21 doubles, 4 triples, and a career-high 25 home runs. On the basepaths, PCA has been equally impactful, swiping 27 bases, placing him second in the National League. He also ranks among the NL leaders in home runs (4th), runs batted in (71, 4th), runs (67, 5th), and total bases (203, 2nd). His overall performance has earned him a stellar 5.2 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) for the season, according to Baseball-Reference.com.
Crow-Armstrong’s 2025 campaign has been marked by several historic milestones. On May 23, he hit his first career grand slam, contributing to a six-run seventh inning that propelled the Cubs to a 13-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. This performance made him the first Cubs player since 1920 to record two six-RBI games in a single calendar month. Demonstrating his elite power-speed combination, PCA became the fourth-fastest player in the modern era (since 1900) to reach 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season, achieving the feat in just 60 games on June 3. He continued to make history on June 19, becoming the first player in the 2025 season to reach the 20-home run, 20-stolen base mark. Just weeks later, on July 10, with two home runs against the Minnesota Twins, he joined an exclusive club as the fourth-fastest player in Major League history to reach at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season, doing so in 92 games, trailing only Eric Davis (69 games in 1987), Alfonso Soriano (91 games in 2002), and Bobby Bonds (91 games in 1973), as reported by Wikipedia and MLB.com.
His impressive 2024 rookie season laid the groundwork for this year’s success. In 123 games, he batted .237 with 10 home runs, 13 doubles, 6 triples, 47 RBI, and 27 stolen bases. He made an immediate impact, hitting his first Major League home run—a game-winning, two-run blast—for his first career hit on April 25, 2024, against the Houston Astros. His defensive highlights included an inside-the-park home run on August 23, 2024, which was clocked as the fastest home-to-home time since 2017 at 14.08 seconds. He also showcased his speed with a remarkable 23-for-23 stolen base streak from May 2 to August 17, the second-most consecutive successful stolen base attempts by any rookie since 1951.
Crow-Armstrong’s journey to the big leagues began when he was drafted 19th overall by the New York Mets in the 2020 MLB Draft. However, his time with the Mets was short-lived due to a torn right labrum injury in 2021. He was famously traded to the Chicago Cubs on July 30, 2021, in exchange for Javier Báez and Trevor Williams. Reflecting on the trade, Crow-Armstrong admitted he initially thought it was a “joke” given his injury at the time, as he shared in a September 2024 interview. Despite the setback, he quickly ascended through the Cubs’ minor league system, earning accolades such as the 2022 Midwest League champion title, a Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove, and the 2023 MiLB Defensive Player of the Year award. He also participated in the prestigious All-Star Futures Game in both 2022 and 2023. He made his Major League debut on September 11, 2023, as a pinch-runner against the Colorado Rockies.
Beyond his on-field achievements, Pete Crow-Armstrong’s personal story adds another layer to his growing fame. Born on March 25, 2002, in Sherman Oaks, California, he is the son of actors Matthew John Armstrong and Ashley Crow. His mother, Ashley Crow, is particularly recognized by baseball fans for her role as the mother in the 1994 film “Little Big League.” Crow-Armstrong fondly recalls his mother’s active involvement in his athletic childhood, even catching his pitches despite his increasing velocity. He credits her empathy and unwavering support as a constant source of strength throughout his career, a sentiment he shared in an MLB.com interview in May 2025.
With a career WAR of 7.4 through 231 games, Pete Crow-Armstrong has quickly established himself as a cornerstone for the Chicago Cubs. His dynamic play and consistent improvement suggest a bright future, making him a player to watch for years to come.
