Chicago Cubs All-Star hopes to be more ‘consistent’ in 2026

Of all the players entering the Chicago Cubs spring training camp, centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong will need to be his All-Star self for all 162 games to help the Cubs succeed.

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Batting .265 with an OPS of .846 and 25 home runs pre-All-Star break (95 games), he was not able to replicate that same level of performance after batting .216 with an OPS of .634 and six home runs post-All-Star break (62 games). With a fresh start heading into 2026, the Cubs Gold Glove centerfielder will look to be more “consistent.”

“If I hit 25 homers in the second half, I’m probably pretty freakin’ happy,” Crow-Armstrong said to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. “It doesn’t matter how I do it. I did what I did last year. It’s just about doing more of it next year. I don’t know how it’s going to happen. I don’t know how it’s going to play out. But it’s about the work I put in now. That’s fun to do.”

Overall, in 157 games, Crow-Armstrong batted .247 with a .768 OPS, but finished hitting over 31 (first 30 home run season) and 95 RBI (career high). PCA also showcased his speed, stealing 35 bases while being caught eight times.

Pete Crow-Armstrong comes into spring training with a new approach at the plate to help the Chicago Cubs succeed

Last season, the Cubs’ assistant hitting coach, John Mallee, noticed that Crow-Armstrong was overcomplicating his swing and was “out of his normal patterns.”

“Earlier in the year, all of his patterns were smaller,” Mallee said to Bastian. “His stride was shorter. His separation with his hands was shorter. And as the season grew, and he had a lot of success, he started to get out of his normal patterns. He started striding too far and getting a little too stretched out, which increased his swing-and-miss in the zone.”

Coming into this season, Crow-Armstrong made it a focus to get back to his normal routine, which now includes stepping up in the box. PCA’s new routine is so crafted that he’s counting the number of taps the bat hits his back shoulder.

“It’s just repping out the setup numerous, numerous times, so I can let the swing play,” Crow-Armstrong said.

With spring training games soon to begin, Crow-Armstrong will be able to see if these adjustments will help him get back to his All-Star form. Crow-Armstrong will also be able to see how well his new swing plays against live pitching, as he will be a part of Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.

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