Pete Crow-Armstrong’s offensive breakout overshadowing special defensive season

CHICAGO — It’s gotten to the point that Pete Crow-Armstrong is just expected to do something jaw-dropping on a nightly basis. His sequence of a ridiculous diving catch in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s 5-3 win that was followed by a first-pitch, 452-foot homer off the right-field scoreboard literally minutes later was remarkable. But also just another day in the life of PCA.

“You can count on one hand all the people in the world who can do that sequence,” Nico Hoerner said. “Making that catch and then hitting a ball 112 mph off the top of the scoreboard? That’s not normal stuff. Maybe Bobby Witt with the speed power combo or Corbin Carroll. Just not that many guys in the whole world who can do that. It’s amazing stuff.”

“It was an unreal sequence of a few minutes.”@amartinez_11 breaks it all down on the Cubs Daily Podcast!

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Crow-Armstrong has catapulted himself into the national conversation with a torrid stretch to start the season. The star center fielder is third in the NL for All-Star voting, tops among outfielders, and along with Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, is quickly becoming one of the faces of MLB.

Crow-Armstrong’s emergence as an offensive force has led to him becoming a legitimate MVP candidate. With 19 home runs, 23 steals and a 137 wRC+, he has special skills on offense that make him the type of player rarely seen in any era of baseball. But it’s almost led to his special skill set on defense being overlooked.

It was always said that due to his great defense in center field, Crow-Armstrong would have a baseline value. But stating it so plainly feels like underselling what he’s doing with the glove daily.

“He’s playing at as high a level as I’ve seen a center fielder play,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We’re 70 games in, but how he’s playing it, it’s as good as I’ve seen. The pitchers that have been around, like Caleb Thielbar — he’s had some pretty good center fielders behind him as well — would tell you that.”

That’s not faint praise from Counsell. Thielbar played in front of Byron Buxton in Minnesota, who, when healthy, is one of the best defensive center fielders of this generation. The Cubs manager has been around professional baseball for much of his life — the last 30-plus years as a player, manager or in a front office — and isn’t prone to hyperbole.

Ben Brown is amazed by the energy Crow-Armstrong brings daily.

“Every game he plays is like two games for a normal person, just with how hard he plays,” Brown said. “So at the end of the year, when Pete plays 158 games or whatever he’s on track for, he might as well have played 300 and whatever the double of that is. He just plays so hard, and it’s so fun to watch. It doesn’t matter what’s going on offensively, he’ll play so hard no matter what. As a team, we’re just incredibly blessed to have him in center field.”

How does Crow-Armstrong seem to have this never-ending supply of energy?

“I have no clue,” he said. “I just think that’s always been there, the motor. I love being out there every day. I love diving, sliding and banging into stuff. That’s what I live for.”

Statcast measures defense in various ways. By Outs Above Average, Crow-Armstrong is second in all of baseball at 12, behind only Witt Jr., a shortstop. Directionally, Statcast sees him as special in his ability to go back to both his left and right. So does his manager.

“The ball going back the other way and the one going into the left-center gap are the two balls he’s made the great plays on,” Counsell said. “He’s getting incredible jumps, and his burst is so good. I think we’re underestimating (him) just completing the play with the catch. The ball is nearly on the ground, and he has to dive and keep his glove in a good position. Just really impressive.”

Statcast breaks down a player’s “jump” into three components: reaction, burst and route. Overall, Crow-Armstrong is third among outfielders at 4.2 feet vs. average with his jump. He’s tops in baseball with his burst. Ian Happ credited that to Crow-Armstrong’s pre-pitch work.

Tuesday night’s play was one of the few Crow-Armstrong actually had to dive for. Even on that, Happ pointed out he didn’t have to fully lay out. He ranged all the way into left field to make a catch that has become almost routine for him. Oftentimes, he ends up catching the ball with such ease that onlookers may not fully appreciate just how hard the play was to make. His speed and burst allow him to get under balls even great center fielders would have to dive for.

Crow-Armstrong is making catches that just shouldn’t be made regularly.

“He’s made a bunch of sub-20-percent catch probability plays that you’re kind of amazed,” Happ said. “The fact that he gets to those balls — when you see it every day, you have a bias to expect it, which is messed up. But it’s what he does, you know?”

According to Statcast, Crow-Armstrong has made six catches that it determined to have a 0 to 25 percent catch probability. The next highest players on the list have made three.

What Crow-Armstrong is doing on defense can’t be ignored. With 12 Outs Above Average, he’s on pace to become just the sixth outfielder to top 20, with an outside chance of topping Buxton’s record of 28 that he set in 2017.

It’s not just when he’s at the plate, but when he’s on defense that baseball lovers know not to turn away. Those defensive gems paired with the chaos he causes on the basepaths and his regular incredible display of power make him a can’t-miss and must-see at all times.

“That’s why we come to the ballpark,” Counsell said. “To see things like that. To see great players do great things. To see great players do amazing things. It’s pretty cool.”

(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)