Pete Crow-Armstrong

Crow-Armstrong attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, California, where he played baseball.[2] In 2019, his junior year, he was named the Los Angeles Times Player of the Year after hitting .395 with three home runs, 23 RBIs, forty runs, and 47 hits over 34 games, striking out only seven times.[3] That summer, he played in the 2019 Under Armour All-America Baseball Game.[4] In 2020, his senior year, he was batting .514 before the baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] He committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt University in the fall of 2017 but decided to declare for the 2020 MLB draft instead.

During his amateur career, Crow-Armstrong played for USA Baseball four times, playing on their 12U, 15U, and 18U teams.[6][7] He won a gold medal for USA in 2017 at the COPABE "AA" Pan American Championships, as well as a gold medal in 2018 winning the COPABE "AAA" Pan American Championships. He was named an All-World centerfielder in 2018, winning silver at the 2019 U-18 Baseball World Cup.[8]

Crow-Armstrong was considered one of the top prospects for the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.[9][10][11] He was selected in the first round with the 19th overall selection by the New York Mets.[12] He signed with the Mets on June 25 for a bonus of $3.4 million.[13] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the pandemic.[14] To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the St. Lucie Mets of the Low-A Southeast League.[15] On May 18, it was announced that Crow-Armstrong would undergo surgery on his right shoulder for a glenoid labral articular disruption, ending his 2021 season.[16] Over 24 at-bats prior to the injury, he hit .417 with four RBIs and two stolen bases.[17]

Crow-Armstrong sliding into second base for the South Bend Cubs

On July 30, 2021, the Mets traded Crow-Armstrong to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Javier Báez and Trevor Williams.[18] He was assigned to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Low-A Carolina League to begin the 2022 season.[19] He was promoted to the South Bend Cubs of the High-A Midwest League in late May.[20] He was selected to represent the Cubs at the 2022 All-Star Futures Game.[21] He was named a 2022 MiLB Gold Glove as one of the three best defensive outfielders in the minor leagues.[22]

On February 6, 2023, Crow-Armstrong was invited as one of the 32 non-roster players to be included in the Cubs' spring training camp.[23] He was optioned to the Tennessee Smokies of the Double-A Southern League to open the 2023 season.[24] He began the season as the Cubs' number one prospect and the sixth-ranked outfielder prospect in the MLB.[25] He was selected to represent the Cubs at the 2023 All-Star Futures Game.[26] On July 31, Crow-Armstrong was promoted to Triple-A Iowa. In 73 games at Double-A Tennessee, Crow-Armstrong slashed .289/.371/.527 with 14 home runs, 60 runs batted in, 68 runs scored, 27 steals, and a .934 OPS.[27] In 34 games for the I-Cubs, he slashed .271/.350/.479 with six home runs, two triples, seven doubles, 30 runs on 38 hits, 22 RBIs, and had an OPS of .829.[28]

On September 11, 2023, after recording a .876 OPS on the year in Double-A and Triple-A, sources reported that Crow-Armstrong was being called up to the major leagues for the first time.[29] After being activated prior to that day’s game against the Colorado Rockies, he would enter the game in the seventh inning as a pinch runner but would be caught stealing third base. In the ninth inning, he would make his first career plate appearance, which resulted in a successful sacrifice bunt.[30] Crow-Armstrong made his first MLB start on September 12 in center field. He would go 0-for-4 with an RBI fielder's choice and he would make two highlight-reel plays in the outfield. The Cubs would lose to the Rockies, 6–4.