Celebrating Pete Crow-Armstrong's Sterling Defense, Even Though He Didn't Go Platinum

[Jason Ross]

Image courtesy of © Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Over the weekend, MLB announced the annual winners for their "Platinum Glove" award, which highlights the single best defensive player in each league. While the Chicago Cubs took home the MLB's team award, they did not have a winner for the individual award; instead, this award for the National League went to Fernando Tatis Jr., who plays right field on the San Diego Padres. I won't shame the guy—he was tied for the league lead in DRS, but Pete Crow-Armstrong probably has a bit of an argument for winning the award outright over Tatis and probably feels a little slighted. Not only did he tie with American League winner Bobby Witt Jr. in Statcast's Outs Above Average for the league lead (24), but he did so at a more defensively demanding position than Tatis. The Cubs' defender lead the world in terms of five-star catches as well. Regardless, this isn't a piece meant to bash the Padres' All-Star, but rather to celebrate the man they call PCA. So, come take ride with me through my five favorite catches on the season made by the Cubs' center fielder.

June 4, 2025: Look out for the wall, Pete!

I don't care what Statcast says, this is my favorite (and what I'd argue is the most impressive play) of the season that Pete Crow-Armstrong made. Sure, it's still considered a "Five-Star" catch (MLB defines these as catches that only 25% of fielders would make) and this catch had only a 10% catch probability, but Statcast would tell you he had tougher plays to make (and those plays will find their way into this article, so you can be the judge as well). Well, me and the probabilities are going to have a little beef because I think this catch was impossibly hard.

First, this play takes Pete Crow-Armstrong a long way; this was his longest distance traveled that registered as a "five-star" catch on the season. But I don't think distance alone should matter, so other context needs to be added. Not every direction an outfielder travels is equal; it's a lot easier to come in than travel back for a ball. This play forces him to turn his back to the plate, and it's a lot harder to track over your shoulder. Lastly, this doesn't take place in a familiar ballpark Crow-Armstrong, as the Cubs make only one yearly trip to Washington. It's actually probably a good thing that it didn't take place in a familiar ballpark— this ball would have been a home run at Wrigley. Plus, he's got to contend with the impact of a padded wall, and still, despite all of that, comes down with the ball.

When you add it all up; I think that's an incredible catch. Sorry, Statcast, we just won't agree here. 

June 17, 2025: Pete Crow-Armstrong saves the day against Milwaukee

With the benefit of hindsight, we know that the Cubs didn't win the National League central, but on June 17, it was the Cubs who entered the night with a 5.5-game lead in the division. In a taught one run game, set-up man Caleb Thielbar is tasked with holding on to the lead. Despite a rocky first few appearances, the southpaw has had a great bounce-back season to date, and would need to handle the bottom of the Milwaukee order in the top of the eighth. With one out, Thielbar throws a 93mph heater that probably catches just a little too much of the strike zone, and Brewers' second baseman Brice Turang smokes a line drive to center field. Thankfully for the Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong is in center. 

According to Statcast, he had to cover 71 feet in just 3.8 seconds. So, despite the exit velocity and angle of the hit only scoring ax expected batting average of .280, the defensive positioning of the Cubs' defender added to the difficulty on the play. With only a 5% chance to complete the catch, the swift-footed Crow-Armstrong lays out and gets to the ball before it touches green. Thielbar clearly knows what he just saw, giving a grin of unbelievability. In the end, the Cubs would tack on a fifth run and would win by two, but this play was pivotal in stretching their division lead a little further.

June 28, 2025: This is why Pete Crow-Armstrong is special:



When we think of spectacular defensive plays, I think the ones that we tend to gravitate towards and remember are the ones where a player goes all out and either makes a diving catch or runs into a wall; the play has to finish with something that really stands out. What we forget is that one of the reasons a player has to dive is because they couldn't complete the play standing up (speaking from experience, most of the diving plays I've made in my adult league is because I am objectively slow as hell). This is why this play is so good from Crow-Armstrong—he didn't need to go to ground. He made the play look routine.

Be honest with yourself: You probably didn't realize that Statcast gave the Cubs' center fielder a 5% catch probability on this one. You probably don't remember this one from the 2025 season. To make this play happen, Pete Crow-Armstrong had under four seconds to travel 68 feet. Not only did he get there, he got there standing up and made it look easy. You'd never come away thinking this was one of his most difficult plays from the eye test. All of this is what makes this a special play, even if I like the play against the Nationals more from a personal standpoint. 

July 4, 2025: Pete Crow-Armstrong's July 4 Fireworks

July Fourth is a day in which we celebrate many things; democracy, personal freedoms, hot dogs and, on this iteration of the national holiday, it was also a celebrate of great defense. The Cubs were still leading the division and their hated rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, were in town on a Friday afternoon. Frankly, this is the perfect setup for a July Fourth. The Cubs have the surprisingly-effective Colin Rea taking the mound at home. With one out, Cardinals' shortstop Mason Wynn smokes a 105mph line drive off the bat. With an expected batting average of .740 and with a 77th percentile sprint speed, Wynn had to feel like he would be standing on second base pretty easily. Not so fast, my friend.

Covering 66 feet in just 3.7 seconds, the center fielder gets a great break on this one. Unlike the play against the Astros, this play is not taking Crow-Armstrong in, but to his glove side. This makes this play a bit trickier; he'll have to move laterally more than north-south. Despite Statcast giving him, yet again, only a 5% chance to make the play, it once again falls harmlessly in Crow-Armstrong's glove for an early out. The Cubs would end up winning 13-3, but taking away an early extra-base hit gave the Cubs a strong platform to explode offensively later.

September 1, 2025: Pete Crow-Armstrong helps the Cubs come back 

The Cubs' young center fielder had an up-and-down year at the plate, looking like the likely NL MVP favorite through the first few months while also looking completely lost in the batter's box during stretches at the end of the season. Thankfully for the Cubs, Crow-Armstrong managed to find ways to impact the game even if he wasn't hitting, and on a chilly day in September he proved as much.

The Cubs are down by two against the Braves as the game, and the day, turns to dusk. Aaron Civale, recently acquired off the scrapheap, has given the Cubs a platform to make a comeback; they were down as many as four but have found a few runs to make it tighter. Ozzie Albies, who has a bit of a history of being a Cub killer, steps to the plate, works a full count, and then blisters a 97mph line drive off the relief pitcher. 

Pete Crow-Armstrong shows off his wheels once again, traveling 92 feet in 4.2 seconds. With a Statcast catch probability of 10% and an expected batting average of .300, it's pretty likely that this ball lands in the gap and the Braves will have a runner in scoring position. Once again, the Cubs' defensive wizard defies probability and makes a wonderful sliding catch. While the play in Washington might be my favorite play of the year, Aaron Civale almost steals the show here for best reaction.

The Cubs would eventually come back and win this game 7-6. Maybe the Cubs win regardless of Crow-Armstrong's heroics here—Albies could have been stranded at second and the game may not have changed. But it's plays like this that show what kind of an impact Crow-Armstrong can have in the outfield.

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Which catch was your favorite? Was there a play I chose not to highlight here? Let us know in the comments below!

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