The Chicago Cubs are promoting prospect Pete Crowe Armstrong from Triple-A Iowa, sources familiar with the move said. The athletehoping his speed and defense can make an impact in the final stages of the National League playoff race.
The Cubs got to this point, in large part, by trusting their staff and maintaining consistent plans for each series. However, Crow-Armstrong is an exceptional talent with the ability to play center field at Gold Glove level and get into close matches as a runner. Those skills could be especially valuable on Course Field, where the Cubs are set to start a three-game series Monday night against the Colorado Rockies.
When the Cubs passed Crow-Armstrong during the first wave of call-ups in September, they still envisioned a specific, limited role that could fit Crow-Armstrong and he flew into Coors Field as a potential venue for his major league debut. The team’s needs at this moment go beyond any minor inconvenience with the 40-man roster. Crowe Armstrong, 21, didn’t need protection from a Rule 5 draft pick this coming season. Nor has left starter Jordan Wicks, who was a 2021 first-round draft pick and is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA since his promotion.
The infusion of young talent helped the Cubs overcome injuries and poor performance, putting themselves in position to reach the postseason for the first time since 2020. During that pandemic year, the Cubs stayed local to pick Mount Carmel High Shortstop Ed Howard with their no. 16 draft picks among the options included Crow-Armstrong.
Crow-Armstrong cut out .289/.371/.527 with 27 stolen bases in 73 games in Double A before earning a promotion to Triple A. There he played in 34 games and pitched .829 OPS, ending that stretch with 7-for-10, Including a double and a grand slam, in his last two matches before being called up to a major league club. With very minor adjustments to his swing, Crow-Armstrong has seen his exit speeds and offense progression jump over the past couple of years to the point where he’s considered a top 20 prospect in the game. But it was his elite defense in the middle of the field – where he could make an immediate impact in the big Coor Fields – and speed on the base lanes that always stood out.
The team’s sense of urgency has also increased recently after losing three straight games to the Arizona Diamondbacks, another team in the wild card chase. That streak included Zac Gallen shutting out the entire game at Wrigley Field and Saturday’s 3-2 loss in which the Cubs scored their only runs via a missed pop-up and a runner starting the tenth inning at second base. The Cubs avoided being swept with a win on Sunday.
The New York Mets used the #19 pick in 2020 to take out Crowe Armstrong from Harvard-Westlake School. The Los Angeles program previously produced first-round picks Lucas Giolito, Max Fried, and Jack Flaherty. The Hollywood element of Crow-Armstrong and his personality can also be traced back to his parents who appeared on NBC’s “Heroes”. His mother, Ashley Crowe, starred in the baseball movie “Little Big League.” His father, Matthew John Armstrong, has many television credits on his acting resume.
The Cubs acquired Crow-Armstrong from the Mets in a Javier Báez deal at the 2021 trade deadline. Crow-Armstrong started the season with Double-A Tennessee and played in the All-Star Futures Game. For the Cubs, the future is now.
(Photo: Mark J. Rebelas/USA Today)
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