Why is Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong becoming ‘the face of baseball’? A former coach’s perspective
Pete Crow-Armstrong leaped and angled his body in a way that looked like a version of the iconic Jumpman logo. The Chicago Cubs center fielder made an Air Jordan-style catch during Friday’s 6-1 win over the Miami Marlins, banging into a nook where two walls converge at funky loanDepot park.
Throughout a spectacular individual season, however, Crow-Armstrong has tried not to make it about himself. Night after night, standing at his locker after yet another walk-off moment or highlight-reel play, he often credits his support system.
It’s the coaching staff helping with his pregame routine, offensive adjustments and mental outlook. Those game-changing swings don’t happen, Crow-Armstrong reminds reporters, without the teammates who extend the inning and create opportunities. His play-by-play recall might mention the runner who hustled to beat out a double play or the pitchers who kept it close in the later innings.
Even Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and friends get a shout-out for leading the “P-C-A” chants and firing up the Wrigley Field crowd.
“I’m here because I’m a part of something bigger than me,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’ve found that everything that I do is usually for other people when it comes to why I play this game. You always get asked about stuff that happened physically on the field, or whatever it is you guys want to report, but I don’t have that much to say about hittin’ baseballs. It’s easier to talk about the bigger picture when you’re playing a team sport.”
THERE’S GOOD AND THEN THERE’S PETE. pic.twitter.com/E9Zx2l3Lxz
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 5, 2026
Labor Day weekend is a significant marker on the baseball calendar, and this is where Crow-Armstrong stands after Saturday’s 6-5 win in Miami: 39 home runs, 33 stolen bases, 94 RBIs, 105 runs scored and a .943 OPS.
One of the countless influential figures Crow-Armstrong has cited over the years is Willie Harris, the former Cubs coach and a role player on the 2005 Chicago White Sox team that ended an 88-year championship drought. To better understand Crow-Armstrong’s development into a leading National League MVP candidate, The Athletic spoke with Harris, the current third-base coach for the Cincinnati Reds, earlier this season at the Friendly Confines.
‘Be slow’
As a September call-up during the 2023 season, Crow-Armstrong looked jumpy, trying too hard to make something happen. Whether it was getting thrown out as a base runner or giving the opponent an extra base on an ill-advised dive in center field, his inexperience showed.
For all his exposure to high-level competition while growing up in Southern California and playing for Team USA, Crow-Armstrong was still only 21, acclimating to the speed of the game and trying to fit into a team undergoing a late-season collapse.
Harris: When Pete first came up, he came up with a lot of hype, a lot of expectations. He wanted to live up to them. He’s a talented guy. When you get to this level, the game is very, very hard. I used to express to him: “Hey, Pete, slow the game down, man. Let’s be slow today,” because he’s got so much twitch.
He was still getting frustrated a little bit, slamming his helmet. That’s because he’s young. That’s because he wants to shine. But guess what? That pitcher makes money, too. He gets paid, too, so how do we make this adjustment? These are the conversations that I’d have with him: “Slow the game down, man.”
Once it got to the point where he could do that, it was like, “All right, now you just got to be yourself, dog.”
‘I care about you’
As the Cubs’ third-base coach from 2021 to 2024, Harris worked with David Ross and Craig Counsell, bridging two managers and competitive phases. When the Cubs acquired Crow-Armstrong from the New York Mets in the Javier Báez deal at the 2021 trade deadline, no one expected a PCA-for-MVP campaign five years later.
At the time, Crow-Armstrong was recovering from shoulder surgery, which is when Harris recalled meeting the A-ball prospect during a visit to Chicago. While this may seem incongruous with some of his emotional displays on the field, coaches with different backgrounds and specialties have consistently described Crow-Armstrong as approachable and teachable.
Harris: We built a relationship right away. The first thing you have to do with players is let that player know: “Hey man, I care about you. Screw the baseball stuff. We’re here to work, but I care about you as a person first.”
Once you get that part solidified, they’ll do anything you ask them to do. You get extra work out of them. You can talk to them about anything. I can relate to anyone. It doesn’t matter who they are. With Pete, he’s a special talent, and he’s a special person, so I love him dearly.
‘The face of baseball’
When Cubs officials reached an agreement with Crow-Armstrong’s camp on a six-year, $115 million contract extension before this season’s Opening Day, they anticipated his elite defense at a premium position would at least make it a safe investment.
The organization’s internal projections for 2026 did not include Crow-Armstrong outperforming Shohei Ohtani, who’s being managed carefully by the Los Angeles Dodgers while dealing with multiple nagging issues.
One more home run and Crow-Armstrong would join Billy Williams as the franchise’s only left-handed hitters with 40 or more in a season. That plus seven more stolen bases would put Crow-Armstrong in the 40/40 club along with Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ohtani.
Still, the Cubs are a team primarily built around run prevention. With more than 3,500 innings of experience as a major-league outfielder, Harris was on the front end of helping Crow-Armstrong refine his defense. Between the brick wall, gusty winds and unpredictable weather, Wrigley Field is a particularly difficult place to play center field.
That catch on Friday night in Miami also stood out because Crow-Armstrong often makes the difficult plays look routine. His reads and angles are so on point that he instinctually glides to the right spot.
Harris: I don’t think it’s because of any coach — he’s gotten to that point because he’s so athletic. His reactions are off the charts. When the ball is hit, that first step is (unbelievable). He’s going to win a Gold Glove for multiple years, and I said this before he even got the first one.
The dude is off the charts. He throws the ball well. He covers the gaps well. He charges the ball well. It’s definitely hard for third-base coaches, especially me, because I know it. I know what he’s capable of. I’m just excited to watch him continue to grow.
Happy he got the contract. Happy to see him doing well. This game, man, it’s a hard game. We forget that sometimes. When you’re just watching it, it seems easy. But if he can continue to keep the game slow, keep a slow heart rate and know who he is as a person, he’s going to be the face of baseball.