Pete Crow-Armstrong's Next Step Is Clear: Become A Leader of the Cubs

It's a Friday, 1:20 start at Wrigley Field, the outfield ivy has yet to grow in, showing its exposed brick. Scanning your surroundings, you look around, your eyes greeted by thousands of jerseys of red, white, and blue, with the number "4" on the back. The Chicago Cubs' young, would-be superstar has started to capture the imaginations of supporters of North Side baseball in a way few others have since the curse-breaking 2016 squad still reigned over Wrigleyville. Though he's not yet cemented himself as one of the current greats of the game, or certainly the franchise, Pete Crow-Armstrong has not only the raw potential but also the attitude to forge a Cubs legacy unlike any other. 

There is a distinct line of delineation between the kind of player Crow-Armstrong is now and superstardom. In fact, our very own Matt Trueblood recently penned a terrific piece centered around what that line looks like. In the piece, Trueblood delves into the aggressive free-swinging nature of Crow-Armstrong, citing that, across all levels of competition the center fieldeer has faced so far in 2026, he has swung at 55.3% of the pitches he's seen. Accounting for the absence of a World Baseball Classic in 2025, that figure is down from 60% a year ago. Crow-Armstrong is a hyper-aggressive swinger who understands the value of jumping all over the opposition early and often. He became a 30/30 player because of his readiness and all-around approach in each at-bat.  He's a player with unexpected power and an insatiable obsession with inflicting pain on the opposition.

Those pain-inflicting results haven't quite come in 2026 just yet, nor have they for any of the squad's biggest boppers. The combined batting average of the Cubs' regular top four in the lineup, consisting of Ian Happ, Michael Busch, Alex Bregman, and Crow-Armstrong, is just .194 ten games into the season. One could both hope for and count on that alarming figure ticking up in the near future. And Crow-Armstrong's inevitable breakout will likely be the catalyst that changes everything.

Crow-Armstrong fits the identity and tenor of this team and city because he never wants to fall short. His talent is matched by his intensity, and it often manifests in the pure emotion he spills out onto the field. Recently, in a win against the Angels, Ian Happ and Alex Bregman sent back-to-back homers into the iconic Wrigley bleachers. Then, it was Crow-Armstrong's turn. He yearned so badly to make it three in a row that he nearly swung out of his cleats at the first pitch he saw. No, he didn't go yard, but the intent with which he plays, and his love for the team and the city from which they hail, make him the most important player in Cubby pinstripes. 

Since the 2021 exodus of Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez, the Chicago Cubs have felt more like a collection of players, rather than a cohesive core team with one collective mission, until now. When Cody Bellinger was a Cub, the city desperately wanted to ignite a love affair with the enigmatic power lefty. The only trouble was, he didn't reciprocate that desire. Bellinger's time in Wrigleyville was spent with one eye on his bank account and the other on the next best thing. It never really felt like he was the leader of the next wave of Chicago legends.

With his endearing personality, famous approachability, and competitive edge, Crow-Armstrong couldn't be farther from Bellinger's archetype. Along with his fellow extended teammate, Nico Hoerner, Crow-Armstrong embraces the role of being a Chicagoan, and in reality, lives a lifestyle that citizens from all corners of Cook County would pine for. Without overstepping my bounds here, Crow-Armstrong and Hoerner have at least the blueprint to become the best offensive tandem at Wrigley since "Bryzzo". 

Debate that idea all you want, but the top brass wanted Crow-Armstrong here for a reason. Perhaps, the crux of that reason is that Jed Hoyer, Carter Hawkins, and the rest of the front office in Chicago knew that he was the face of this squad's new core. This team, as it stands, possesses the foundation to make a run at the World Series. If that dream should be realized, Crow-Armstrong will lead them to that end.