Chicago Cubs: The secret to PCA’s success may be surprisingly simple

The Chicago Cubs took a gamble back in 2021 when they traded All-Star shortstop Javier Baez and pitcher Trevor Williams for a 19-year-old prospect recovering from shoulder surgery, who some felt was a bit undersized to ever become a a true power hitter in the majors.

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That prospect was Pete Crow-Armstrong and, well, that bet has paid off very handsomely.

As of this writing, “PCA” is slashing .280/.374/.569 with 38 home runs, 91 RBIs and 32 stolen bases while holding a MLB-leading 8.3 WAR, according to ESPN.

The 24-year-old’s season has been historically good, not only earning him recognition among all-time Cubs greats, but also among the legendary names of the sport like Babe Ruth and Micky Mantle.

Always considered an elite talent with a very high ceiling, Crow-Armstrong put it all together earlier this season when he seemingly flipped a switch in his development. He suddenly developed a discerning eye at the plate and the discipline to change from someone who hacks at everything to someone willing to wait on the right pitches.

In August, alone, he’s hit 14 home runs and has driven in 28 runs as a motor of the Cubs’ prodigious offense.

PCA flipped a switch in his development

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His sudden maturity has stunned a lot of people, even Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.

“The defense and the base running (are) so special that I probably take it for granted at times,” Hoyer recently told The Athletic. “But watching the consistency of the at-bats, that’s been an amazing transformation. A lot of coaches deserve a lot of credit. And Pete deserves the lion’s share of the credit for sticking with it.

“His decision-making in the box — I’ve never seen a player develop at this rate. This is a quantum leap in terms of his decision-making. He has a higher OPS against lefties than righties at this point. He’s had some at-bats against great lefty relievers, and he’s laying off pitches just a little bit outside. That was unimaginable one year ago.”

One factor that could be at the heart of PCA’s growth is security.

The secret to his success?

Crow Armstrong was signed to a 6-year, $115 million extension by the Cubs at the beginning of this season and will now stay in the city he’s grown to love through at least the 2032 season.

For some players, security can lead to complacency. For others, it takes pressure off and lets them focus on just becoming a better ballplayer. PCA clearly falls into the latter category—and he’s been letting people know that.

“But it always came back to: I’m going to be comfortable signing whatever deal, really, just because I’m going to be able to sleep at night, knowing that I’m just waking up and playing,” Crow-Armstrong told The Athletic shortly before this year’s All-Star game. “I’m always going to have that outlook.”

And Hoyer concurs. The extension helped unlock the young star’s next level while, also, making sure the team kept their prized asset in place for a long time.

“That was a big part of the logic of the deal, sort of giving him the comfort of, ‘You’re here. You’re good. You’re going to be all set financially,’ ” Hoyer said. “For us, it’s a cornerstone for a really good defensive team to have a great center fielder. Knowing we could lock that up for a long time made sense.

“With the person he is and the way the fans respond to him, that makes it all easier to do it. It’s a win-win.”

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-pete-crow-armstrong-secret-success-jed-hoyer/