Pete Crow-Armstrong Can and Will Have a Breakout 2025 Campaign

A native of Southern California, Pete Crow-Armstrong enjoyed a 2024 campaign which saw him go from awaiting a call-up in Triple-A Iowa to being a mainstay center fielder with astonishing range, making jaw-dropping plays for Craig Counsell's ball club. Crow-Armstrong has some of the most useful speed in the game, and if his offense continues to ascend in 2025, he'll be a problem for the whole league. 

Whether the moment was once too big for him, or he just had an arduous time adjusting to major-league pitching, Crow-Armstrong labored through at-bats in the early stages of 2024. He played in 123 games last season, and in 410 plate appearances, he struck out 98 times. Through the summer into early fall, however, he got his OBP up to .282, while hammering 10 long balls and 13 doubles. His most impressive feat came in the top of the third in a game against the Miami Marlins, when he completely laced a pitch into deep right field, racing around the bases as the ball ricocheted away from a helpless defense and making it an inside-the-park home run. You could feel the electricity from the play all the way up on the benches at Maggie Daley Park. 

With each successful at-bat, the speedy outfielder's confidence grew, so much so that he eventually became a staple in the squad's everyday line up. I'm making a prediction: this will be his year. Baseball Prospectus released their PECOTA projections in full Monday, and the system is bullish on Crow-Armstrong. It forecasts a .242/.298/.398 batting line, which would be a bit underwhelming, but it would also mark a concrete step forward in offensive production. With 15 home runs and 33 stolen bases, PECOTA does forecast Crow-Armstrong to remain dynamic at the plate, and we know he'll be a huge plus in the field. Overall, he's projected for 2.4 wins above replacement player (WARP).

With substantial protection in a lineup poised to deliver gaudy offensive numbers, I see more than just the default potential that he could exceed these projections. He'll struggle against the division's more stout pitching, like Paul Skenes, but will feast on much of it, especially against right-handers. If Crow-Armstrong's driven mentality and youthful resiliency allow him to keep making good adjustments, this season could be his star turn.