Pete Crow-Armstrong Emerges as Cubs’ Rising Star

CHICAGO, Ill. — Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is quickly becoming a fan favorite. Reports earlier this year revealed that he had declined a contract extension offer from the team. Crow-Armstrong, who joined the Cubs in the Javier Baez trade in 2021, has hit 11 home runs, driven in 30 RBIs, and stolen 13 bases as of Wednesday, establishing himself as an emerging star.

Crow-Armstrong expressed gratitude towards the extension talks during an interview with NBC Chicago’s Kacy Standohar. “It was a huge honor and compliment to have anything like that thrown your way, and a lot of those deals never get done,” he said. “I’m here to play baseball and win ballgames.” He emphasized that building trust with his teammates is more important than securing financial stability.

“I just want to keep gaining my teammates’ trust, and Counsell’s, for that matter,” he said. “It (the contract offer) has any relevance to the daily grind that we kind of do.” Crow-Armstrong aims to help the Cubs reach the playoffs and contend for the World Series.

This season, he is slashing .267/.307/.545, and his 2.6 wins above replacement (WAR) as of Wednesday already surpasses his previous campaign over 123 games. Crow-Armstrong credits his success to supportive teammates, saying, “Everybody’s kind of been there to put their hand on my shoulder and be like ‘yo, you’re okay.’”

He specifically acknowledged Justin Turner, who delivered the game-winning RBI double in the Cubs’ 5-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night. “We’re both from Southern California. We have that in common,” he noted, reflecting on his admiration for Turner’s career. “I wasn’t a Dodgers fan, but I went to a ton of games and he was such a big part of that part of my life.”

Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs will conclude their series against Miami on Wednesday night before beginning a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.