The only one not buying into the hype of Pete Crow-Armstrong: Crow-Armstrong
Pete Crow-Armstrong was walking to the batting cage on the field at Principal Park on Tuesday, getting ready to take his first round of swings with the Iowa Cubs, when he was stopped by Justin Stone, the director of hitting for the Chicago Cubs. Stone wanted to briefly talk with Crow-Armstrong, who was being followed by cameras and reporters watching his every move.
“Look forward to seeing you play,” Stone told Crow-Armstrong.
Stone wasn't the only one. The 21-year-old outfielder, the top prospect in the Chicago Cubs organization and one of the best in all of baseball, made his long-awaited Triple-A debut, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, a walk and a stolen base Tuesday night. Crow-Armstrong's arrival carried the same excitement, hype and attention that surrounded many of the Cubs’ other big prospects before him, including Kris Bryant.
“He’s shown that on both sides of the ball, he’s ready for a new challenge,” Stone said.
Anticipation for Crow-Armstrong has been building ever since the Cubs acquired him from the New York Mets in 2021 as part of the trade that sent Javier Baez and Trevor Williams out of Chicago. Crow-Armstrong, who played in just six games after suffering a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, instantly became one of the biggest prospects in the Cubs system.
The 2020 first-round pick became the top-ranked prospect in the organization and the seventh-best in all of baseball this season, according to MLB Pipeline. Crow-Armstrong won a Minor League Baseball Gold Glove last season and was enjoying the season in Double-A with the Tennessee Smokies, hitting .289/.371/.527 with 19 doubles, five triples and 14 home runs in 73 games this year.
“In the back of my mind, I was probably always prepared for it,” Crow-Armstrong said. “It’s not something I was really thinking about or I wasn’t trying to think about it much. I think part of the reason why I was doing relatively well was because I was focused on the task at hand which was the game of the day.”
That mindset worked really well for Crow-Armstrong, especially lately. After capping off a strong July that saw him hit .307, the young outfielder was told Sunday he was headed for Iowa. Crow-Armstrong called his parents and then packed his bags, arriving in Des Moines Monday. His promotion was met with excitement throughout the fan base with Crow-Armstrong now being one short step away from the majors.
His first day in Des Moines drew the same sort of attention as Bryant, Baez and many of Chicago's other previous big prospects. While everyone else seemed interested in the buzz and the hype around him, only one person didn’t seem too interested in it: Crow-Armstrong.
“I don’t buy into any of that,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I don’t really think it even exists. I think that anything could happen. I could be forgotten in however long, you know? So, I always keep that in mind. None of this is certain. None of what is going to hopefully come in the future is certain. So the game is the game and I just go out and play every day. There is no hype.”
There really is though. Crow-Armstrong, already considered an elite defender and one of the best centerfielders in all of minor league baseball, has also made massive strides with his bat. Stone credits Crow-Armstrong’s recent run of success for his pitch selection at the plate, focusing in on offerings he can attack and do damage with. Crow-Armstrong said he got plenty of help with that from Smokies hitting coach Rick Strickland along with some of his teammates and Cubs minor league coordinators.
“I think the biggest part was talking to my teammates and specifically B.J. Murray Jr. and Owen Caissie,” Crow-Armstrong said. “They’ve both kind of tearing it up down there as well. I think those conversations with those guys and again my teammates, kind of took it to the next level for sure.”
Crow-Armstrong will now face his toughest task yet, competing against Triple-A pitching, a combination of up-and-coming prospects and veterans with big-league experience. The new level and new competition is something the Cubs think he's ready to take on. Crow-Armstrong already made a strong first impression with his new Iowa coaches in big-league spring training by showing up first to the cage to get some early work in.
"From a maturity standpoint, he figured it out early," said Iowa hitting coach John Mallee.
But there's still more work to be done for Crow-Armstrong. Even though the focus of fans is now when he could get to the major leagues, Crow-Armstrong insists he isn't worried about that, even saying he feels no pressure with the rankings or the attention that has come his way.
"I'm just trying to win more ball games," Crow-Armstrong said. "I was really enjoying doing that in Tennessee. So, I want to keep that going here and just finish the year strong. I'm in no rush to move up. I really bought into the plan that they have in place for me. So, whatever happens the rest of this year, happens."
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is in "no rush to move up."
