The Chicago Cubs have reduced the number of players in their spring training squad. from 72 players to 50 players on March 8. Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was one of four players optioned to the Cubs Triple-A affiliate, the Iowa Cubs.
Crow-Armstrong is the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect and the MLB’s No.16 overall prospect. He made his major league debut on September 11, 2023, after being drafted by the New York Mets in 2020.
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Offensive Struggles
Crow-Armstrong began the 2023 season playing for the Cubs Double-A team, the Tennessee Smokies. He was later moved to the Triple-A team in Iowa before he started playing in the major league. While playing in the minor leagues, Crow-Armstrong performed very well offensively. He had a .283 batting average and a .876 OPS in 2023 in the minors.
Crow-Armstrong’s outstanding performance in the minors led to his inclusion in the MLB Futures Game in 2022 and 2023.
However, after starting to play in the major league, Crow-Armstrong struggled to perform well at the plate. In 13 games with the Cubs, he had no hits in his 19 plate appearances and struck out 7 times. Crow-Armstrong has admitted that he needs to improve his performance at the plate during a March 7 interview with MLB’s Jonathan Mayo.
“I felt like the 0-14 record felt longer than it actually was in terms of how much I allowed it to bother me,” said Crow-Armstrong. “Even today, I still feel like I haven’t achieved what I wanted to. I think my time in the major league was positive in some ways, but obviously, I need to improve at the plate.”
During the 2024 Spring training, Crow-Armstrong continued to struggle at the plate before he was moved to the Triple-A team on March 8. The outfielder only hit .160 and struck out 7 times in 27 plate appearances.
Pete Crow-Armstrongs Future With the Cubs
In Triple-A, Crow-Armstrong will have more opportunities to bat regularly compared to when he plays in the major league. The Cubs’ outfield currently consists of Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki. Bellinger returned to the Cubs after signing a new deal in free agency.
Despite needing improvement in his offensive game, Crow-Armstrong excels as a defender. He had a .951 fielding percentage during the 2023 minor league season, and a perfect fielding percentage in his limited time in the major league.
Crow-Armstrong has an 80-grade field tool. His “plus-plus speed, outstanding instincts and fearlessness allow him to cover a tremendous amount of ground in center field and make plays most defenders can only dream of,” according to MLB Pipeline.
Crow-Armstrong was acquired from the Mets in exchange for Javier Baéz and Trevor Williams. At the time he was 19 years old and the Met’s No. 5 prospect, according to The Athletic. Crow-Armstrong is now the Cubs’ top prospect and is still only 21 years old.
At the time of the trade, Crow-Armstrong was seen as “the center fielder of the future for the Cubs,” as stated by The Athletic. The Cubs are continuing to be patient with the young star as he develops into a strong hitter in the major leagues.
Crow-Armstrong will have the chance to establish a more consistent performance in the minors and is likely to be back on the major league team at some point during the regular season as MLB Pipeline has his ETA listed as 2024.
