Pete Crow-Armstrong was already a top prospect. Without any doubts, many scouts graded his defense as “plus-plus.” It was clear that part of his game was going to make a generational impact. Above-average arm strength, elite speed and a smooth swing meant for a contact hitter were all mentioned in various scouting reports for the present-day National League MVP leader. Here’s something the scouts didn’t get right: Crow-Armstrong is a 10-15 home run hitter.
Last night, the Chicago Cubs center fielder hit his 45th home run in the middle of September. It’s the kind of power Cubs fans dreamed about when the team signed Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, but few suspected they would get it from Crow-Armstrong.
The 24-year-old’s latest blast came in Chicago’s 9-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, giving him 45 home runs and 38 stolen bases on the season. He finished the game 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs, three runs scored and a stolen base. These kinds of nights have become a regular for Crow-Armstrong. His 45th home run also tied him with former Cub Kyle Schwarber for the major-league lead.
Crow-Armstrong is now just two stolen bases away from becoming a 40-40 player, a milestone that has been reached by only a handful of players in major-league history. Considering where his offensive projections once stood, the possibility is difficult to believe.
When Crow-Armstrong entered professional baseball, power was not considered a major part of his offensive profile. His value was built around the things he already did exceptionally well. He could cover enormous amounts of ground in center field, had the speed to impact games on the bases and showed the bat-to-ball skills necessary to develop into a productive hitter.
A 10-to-15 home run projection was therefore reasonable. In 2024, his first season with at least 100 games in the majors, Crow-Armstrong hit exactly 10 home runs in 123 games. His offensive game looked much like the scouting reports suggested it would.
The following season changed the conversation.
Crow-Armstrong hit 31 home runs in 2025 while stealing 35 bases. He had more than tripled his previous home run total and suddenly looked like a much different hitter than the player who had arrived in Chicago a year earlier.
Even that season, however, didn’t fully prepare the Cubs for what came next.
Crow-Armstrong has added another 14 home runs to his 2025 total, reaching 45 with the regular season still underway. His production has turned what was once viewed as a defense-first player into one of the most complete players in the National League.
The most impressive part may be that his power hasn’t come at the expense of the qualities that made him a top prospect. He’s still playing center field, still stealing bases and still using his speed to create extra opportunities. The Cubs didn’t have to choose between the defensive star they expected and the offensive player they have gotten. They got both.
That combination has also put Crow-Armstrong into some rare statistical company. With at least 45 home runs, 30 doubles and 30 stolen bases, he became the 10th player in MLB history to reach all three marks in a season and the first center fielder to do so.
For Chicago, the timing couldn’t be better.
The Cubs are entering the final stretch of the regular season with a postseason spot within reach, and Crow-Armstrong has become one of the central figures in their lineup. What was once expected to be a player who could contribute at the bottom or middle of the order with speed and contact has developed into a legitimate power threat.
That’s particularly significant for an organization that has invested heavily in its lineup. The Cubs brought in Tucker before the 2025 season and signed Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract before 2026. Those additions were designed to provide established offensive production. Instead, one of the biggest offensive developments of the season has come from a player the organization drafted and developed.
And Crow-Armstrong isn’t simply hitting home runs in isolation. His 38 stolen bases give him another way to change games, while his defense continues to make him valuable even when the bat isn’t producing. That makes his transformation different from a typical power breakout. The Cubs didn’t discover a slugger hiding in their system. They watched a player with an already-established elite skill set add an entirely new dimension to his game. The question now isn’t whether Crow-Armstrong can become a 20-home run hitter or whether his power will translate to the majors. Those questions have already been answered.
The question is how high the ceiling goes. At 45 home runs and 38 stolen bases, Crow-Armstrong is approaching a season that few could have envisioned when he was projected to hit 10 to 15 home runs a year. The player who was supposed to win games with his glove and speed is now doing it with his bat, too. For the Cubs, that’s a development that could prove just as important as any offseason acquisition.
Crow-Armstrong was always supposed to be special.
Nobody knew he’d be this powerful.
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