The Chicago All-Star is already one of baseball’s best young players and seems destined to lead the team back to The Promised Land
By Ryan K Boman | April 13, 2026
The Chicago Cubs and their fans have known for a long time that they had something truly special in Pete Crow-Armstrong. In fact, there seemed to be a veritable countdown in the Windy City in anticipation of his arrival, with most expecting him to be the next face of the franchise.
So far, so good, as PCA has emerged as one of the best all-around players in baseball already. The 24-year-old center fielder was originally drafted by the New York Mets, but the Cubbies acquired him for Javy Baez and Trevor Williams, a move that looks like a steal today. The prodigy made his MLB debut in 2024 and had a solid, short campaign in his rookie year. But his second season was sensational; Crow-Armstrong hit .247 with 31 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 37 doubles. The Chicago star also received his first All-Star selection, won a Gold Glove, and joined the 30-30 Club.
The scary thing for the rest of baseball is the realization that he’s just getting started. He’s going to get even better.
In a recent interview with Boardroom Talks, PCA discussed his playing career so far, especially what it means to be a part of one of baseball’s hallowed franchises. He stated that playing for the Chicago fans has been a tremendous positive, and that keeps him excited as a player
“They know ball; they know ball,” he said. “I said it already. They’re patient, and they’re understanding. I didn’t have the easiest, best start to my career, but they never put me down, and they were only ever there to lend their support.”
“So they know ball. They show up to these games during the week on the weekends, and it’s a party, and everybody’s happy to be there. And they make Wrigley Field like the premier place to play, for sure.”
Crow-Armstrong said that one of the things he’s been working on is his mindset and approach to the game. He believes he’s learned a lot from dealing with adversity and some potholes
“I learned that I don’t handle failure well enough yet, but I still had glimpses of the type of guy that can. And I learned that I’m a really good teammate, really easy to be around when the play is easy, and it’s going well. And then I learned that I have a harder time at this point in my life or last year. I had a harder time doing that when the results weren’t there.”
Bringing glory back to Wrigley
No great player is allergic to winning, and PCA is no exception. While his individual accolades were off the charts in his sophomore effort, he was most proud of the team qualifying for the postseason a year ago. Chicago went 92-70 and captured a wild card spot in 2025, but were eliminated by their division rivals, the Brewers, in the National League Division Series.
“I enjoyed the crap out of playing with that team specifically. And then getting to bring playoff baseball back to Wrigley was, I think, the most rewarding thing about last year.”
If all holds form, Crow-Armstrong will be making a lot of playoff appearances in Chi-Town. In fact, he’s the key to the team returning to the World Series for the first time since they broke The Curse of the Billy Goat in 2016. It’s a good bet that PCA will be the next Cubs superstar to transform Wrigley into a Field of Dreams, complete with a parade down Waveland Avenue.
And if that journey does end where so many in Chicago have long dreamed it would, it won’t feel like something new—it will feel like something remembered. As if the ivy itself had been waiting, all along, for Pete Crow-Armstrong to come climbing through it.