Why Pete Crow-Armstrong Not Being In The 2025 HR Derby Is A Good Thing

After a four-hit day with two more home runs on July 4, Pete Crow-Armstrong’s legend continues to grow. The young phenom has been a joy to watch at bat, in the field, and on the basepaths. Many fans have clamored for the Cubs’ center fielder to compete in the Home Run Derby during the All-Star break. So far, Crow-Armstrong has disappointed fans by saying that he is not interested. While unpopular, here is why that is the right decision.

Why It Is The Right Decision For Crow-Armstrong

Crow-Armstrong not participating in 2025 was the right choice for a lot of reasons. PCA said that he is not the type of home run hitter that the competition is geared toward and that his hitting style is not a good fit for the time limit. He also stated that he wants to focus on his season. For a 23-year-old, second-year player who has made a few “rookie mistakes” this season, this is wise beyond his years.

While the “Home Run Derby Curse” has been shown to be largely a myth, there are real effects on a player from being in the competition. The main effect can be on a participant’s swing. While there are players like Dave Kingman, Adam Dunn, and Joey Gallo who swing for the fences almost every time they step to the plate, that is not every player’s approach. Home Run Derby participants have to have that approach on every swing. Repeating that all-out home run stroke over and over, possibly through multiple rounds, can be a hard habit to break when you go back to normal in-game at-bats.

The myth of power-outage second halves due to the derby is often explained away by a regression to the mean by players who may have over-achieved prior to the All-Star break. Several players, however, have seen a drop-off in overall production at the plate in the second half of the season after the derby. The alteration in swing paths and the temptation to swing for the fences can lower your batting average, as can trying to pull everything instead of hitting the pitch where it is thrown. Bobby Abreu and David Wright both experienced one or more of these issues after participating in the competition.

Why This Is The Right Decision For The Cubs

Crow-Armstrong’s decision was also a good one for the Cubs. Chicago needs PCA roaming their outfield and hitting in the middle of their batting order if they want to make a deep playoff run this season. The last thing that they need is for their young star to ruin his swing after all the work he has done to improve it during his first two seasons. Crow-Armstrong has lowered his whiff rate on breaking pitches and off-speed pitches, as well as reducing his strikeout percentage in his second season.

The derby also holds a health risk for players. Aaron Judge famously aggravated a previous shoulder injury while taking part in the 2017 event. Several other players have attributed fatigue issues coming out of the All-Star break to the combination of playing in the game and the added stress and exertion of the derby, as well as the travel involved. Those who didn’t participate in the derby simply had an extra day off.

End Of My Crow-Armstrong Home Run Derby Rant

I would love to see Crow-Armstrong participate in the Home Run Derby. He is truly one of the most electrifying talents and personalities in the sport right now. That said, I would also like to see PCA and the Cubs win the NL Central and make a run at a championship. Crow-Armstrong recognizes that he may only have Kyle Tucker in the lineup with him for this season. If Cubs’ owner Tom Ricketts doesn’t pony up the money to extend Tucker, Chicago’s incredible offense will take a big hit next season. This may be the Cubs’ best chance at a title, despite the injuries to their pitching staff.

I love that PCA’s desire to win as a team has exceeded his desire for personal accomplishments. Again, that just shows that his baseball IQ is that of someone far beyond his years. For a player who is so flashy and exuberant on the field, this shows just how grounded he is inside. The Cubs are off to a great start–one few expected. Crow-Armstrong is focused on seeing it through to a great conclusion. That is something that you don’t see in many 23-year-olds.

So, while fans at Wrigley continue their “MVPete” chants, Crow-Armstrong will continue to focus on earning those chants and winning ball games. He knows that the real prize is not the Home Run Derby trophy, the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards he will probably win, or even the MVP trophy that he will fight Shohei Ohtani and others for. Let Cal Raleigh, James Wood, Ronald Acuna, and others compete for the derby trophy this year. Right now, those players’ teams don’t appear poised for postseason success anyway. PCA knows that the real prize is the one pictured below.