Chicago Cubs: PCA gets growing pains advice from Kyle Schwarber and Craig Counsell

The Chicago Cubs have been on fire after early-season doldrums and it seems as though just about everyone is waking up to contribute. The awakening of one of the most important pieces of the Cubs’ puzzle, though, is especially noteworthy.

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Pete Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-3 with a walk against the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday night at Dodger Stadium, scoring two crucial runs in Chicago’s 6-4 come from behind victory. The win makes it 10 in a row for the red-hot North Siders. Over the last four games, “PCA” is 6-for-14 (.429) and has raised his batting average from .214 to .245.

Overall, he’s starting to look more like the dynamic young star he was in the first half of last season rather than the over-taxed player he became in the second half, deep in an extended slump as he pressed and pressed to an unhealthy degree.

PCA is growing up

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One possible explanation for this season’s possible early turnaround is that the always-introspective 24-year-old has added a touch of maturity to his mental and emotional skill set.

“This offseason, a dad told me that he took his son off of his Little League team for throwing his bat and almost hitting a teammate,” Crow-Armstrong told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers recently. “And the kid said, ‘But Pete does it.’

“So that one hurt and still hurts.”

Part of the young star’s charm is the fact that he wears his heart on his sleeve, always exceedingly open about his feelings and even his trepidations. Part of his on-field success is also due to this aspect of his personality. However, there is a line between having a fiery, competitive mindset and letting your feelings get the best of you—a line that PCA crossed several times during his 2025 late-season struggles.

“I’ve noticed that if I stay in the game and I can just handle my s*** properly, like an adult, then the game goes by faster,” he commented. “I have less time to dwell on what went bad. And I think the dugout is better for it when I am not making it known that I’m pissed off.”

“It’s really about respecting yourself”

Crow-Armstrong recently signed a 6-year, $115 million contract extension with Chicago, ensuring that he’ll be a Cub at least through his age-30 season. The Cubs, of course, would very much like for their highly-prized asset to be fully self-actualized at some point soon, both on the field and in his own head.

“It’s really about respecting yourself, more than the other things,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s the belief about how good you are. You don’t need that.”

Even former Cub Kyle Schwarber chimed in with words of advice to PCA, offering a touch of wisdom during the WBC where the two were teammates representing Team USA.

“Don’t give anyone a reason to feel like there’s any extra additive needed to show that you’re struggling,” Schwarber advised. “Because once you show any sort of weakness, that’s when it kind of becomes blood in the water in some sort, that people could see that and think that, ‘I got this guy beat.’”

Ultimately, it’s going to be Crow-Armstrong himself who makes the changes needed to tone down on his reaction to frustration. So far, he looks to be on the right path.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-pca-pete-crow-armstrong-kyle-schwarber-craig-counsell/