Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Chicago Cubs already find themselves in familiar August territory, and not in a good way. Let’s start with the good news. Despite Sunday’s loss to the rival Cardinals, the Cubs are still only five games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central. Crow-Armstrong and teammates also have a five-game lead over the Phillies and Diamondbacks for the NL’s top Wild Card spot.
However, Crow-Armstrong is working through a second-half struggle once again, and he entered Monday hitting .231 with seven home runs, 22 RBI, and an .874 OPS since the All-Star break. For those who only recently started paying attention, consider that he hit .291 with a .917 OPS and 24 stolen bases in the first half. Interestingly, his .539 slugging percentage is actually slightly better than the .531 he recorded in the first half.
Luckily for the Cubs, they’re 18-11 in the second half, which on its own should have fans optimistic about whatever lies ahead. It’s nonetheless hard to blame anyone for being concerned about Crow-Armstrong’s recent disappointing play.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has historically struggled in the second half
Crow-Armstrong’s first-half and second-half career splits are fascinating, especially as they relate to his on-base percentage and stolen bases.
Statistic | First half | Second half |
|---|---|---|
Games played | 251 | 167 |
Batting average | .264 | .231 |
Slugging percentage | .329 | .294 |
On-base percentage | .501 | .417 |
OPS | .830 | .711 |
Home runs | 49 | 20 |
RBIs | 141 | 77 |
Total extra-bases | 101 | 59 |
Stolen bases | 68 | 26 |
Strikeout percentage | 24.6% | 26% |
Walk percentage | 7.4% | 7% |
Unsurprisingly, Crow-Armstrong is stealing fewer bases because his on-base percentage has dropped by 35 points. But what’s interesting is that his strikeout rate hasn’t skyrocketed, creating the impression that he’s not pressing at the plate. You’d think that someone with a history of struggling in the second half would record significantly more strikeouts, but that’s not the case with the Cubs’ two-time All-Star.
There is no indication that Crow-Armstrong is working through an injury. Shohei Ohtani, who remains his biggest competitor in the NL MVP race, has been limited by a knee problem in recent weeks.
Cubs fans need to take a deep breath
We understand Cubs fans fearing the worst, especially amid an NL Central race. But outside of his batting average and stolen base count, let’s not pretend that PCA has been dreadful in the second half. His OPS is still well above league- average, and he’s already managed 19 extra-base hits through 137 plate appearances.
Without speculating too much, it’s simply possible that Crow-Armstrong is a superior first-half player. The problem, as the Cubs saw firsthand last year, is that his lack of second-half hitting carried over to the postseason. Crow-Armstrong went 5-for-27 with no home runs and 12 strikeouts in eight playoff games.
For the Cubs to win their first NL pennant since 2016, Crow-Armstrong must right the ship before it’s too late. Seeing as the Brewers currently have baseball’s best record, overtaking Milwaukee might also mean home-field advantage for the Cubs come October. And while that might sound like a long way off, remember that we’re already in the middle of August.
Time is running out for PCA to prove that he can handle himself during the stretch run, and a series with the crosstown White Sox sounds like an excellent place to start.
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