Cubs’ Craig Counsell makes ‘special’ Pete Crow-Armstrong admission

Pete Crow-Armstrong, a native of Los Angeles, keeps giving his hometown team nightmares. In the Chicago Cubs’ thrilling 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field, the rookie center fielder once again made his presence impossible to ignore–blasting a three-run homer, flashing elite defense, and continuing a torrid offensive stretch that has him among baseball’s most exciting young stars.

The 23-year-old has become a problem for the Dodgers. Across five games this season against L.A., Crow-Armstrong is now hitting a blistering .455 with four homers, two doubles, a triple, nine RBIs, and several highlight-reel catches. Wednesday’s fourth inning bomb flipped a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead capping off another statement night for the Cubs’ rising phenom. He also chipped in an RBI single during a decisive four-run inning that put Chicago in control of the game and energized the home crowd.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell praised his young star’s complete performance, noting that Crow-Armstrong impacted the game in every phase–offense, defense, and on the base paths.

“It’s what special players are capable of –impacting all areas of the game,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian.

It’s become a consistent pattern, as the center fielder has racked up 14 RBIs, 13 runs scored, and seven steals in just 14 games since April 7th. Those numbers are matched only by some of the game’s elite players, including Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

Defensively, PCA continues to shine. Statcast currently ranks him in the 100th percentile for Fielding Run Value, which speaks to his advanced instincts and ability to make even the toughest plays look routine. He showed that again in the seventh inning, chasing down a ball with only a 10% catch probability. With each passing game, Crow-Armstrong is proving he’s not just a top Cubs prospect, he’s showing that he is already one of the most dynamic players in the league.