Pete Crow-Armstrong reached another milestone this weekend, hitting 30 stolen bases for the first time and joining some pretty exclusive Cubs company in the process.
The 23-year-old centerfielder became the first Cubs player his age or younger to swipe 30 bags since Ryne Sandberg pulled it off back in 1983, according to MLB Network’s Sarah Langs.
That’s the kind of company you want to keep.
Crow-Armstrong turned 23 in March and he’s making the most of his first full big league season. Last year, he managed 27 steals in 123 games. This season, he’s already at 30 in just 115 games, showing that speed is becoming a bigger part of his game.
But the stolen bases are just part of what’s been a breakout year for PCA. He’s putting up an .822 OPS with an NL-leading 31 doubles, plus 27 home runs and four triples. He’s driven in 78 runs and scored 74.
Then there’s his defense.
Crow-Armstrong might be the best defensive centerfielder on the planet right now. If you hit a ball in the air against the Cubs, it better be gone, because otherwise he’s probably catching it.
All of that production adds up to something pretty impressive. By Baseball Reference’s calculation, PCA leads the National League in Wins Above Replacement.
It’s been a remarkable jump for the lefty hitter. He was solid in 2024 but didn’t necessarily look like he’d develop into this kind of offensive threat. Even with some recent struggles at the plate, his bat has taken a huge leap forward in 2025.
What makes this different is the combination of everything he brings. The speed, the power, the defense – it all points to the potential for him to be one of baseball’s best players for the next decade.
And now he’s got his name next to Sandberg’s in the Cubs record books, which isn’t a bad place to be.
