Craig Counsell hints at looming pressure on Pete Crow-Armstrong in Cubs lineup

Pete Crow-Armstrong has officially arrived for the Chicago Cubs.

The former top prospect is batting .284 with a .925 OPS in the month of August, elevating the back end of the Cubs' lineup in the process. PCA made waves with a particularly impressive inside-the-park home run on Friday. His 14.08 second home-to-home time was the fastest recorded this season.

For Chicago, offense has been hard to come by all year. The same could be said for Crow-Armstrong until recently. The rook struggled to find his footing early in the campaign, which is hardly a surprise. At just 22 years old, PCA's development was always going to take time and patience. Now we are beginning to see the fruits of Chicago's steadfast efforts.

Crow-Armstrong has been so good that fans are starting to wonder if he has outgrown his current position in Chicago's lineup. PCA batted seventh, for example, in Sunday's dispiriting loss to the Miami Marlins. In a classical sense, though, Crow-Armstrong is what we've come to expect from a leadoff hitter. He gets on base, and once he's on base, there are few more threatening runners in the sport.

When asked about a potential promotion to the leadoff spot for PCA, Craig Counsell pumped the breaks. He reiterated to reporters that Crow-Armstrong's spot in the lineup will not change in the immediate future, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. When asked about 2025, however, Counsell left the door wide open.

"I haven’t put a lot of thought into that. You want good offensive players at the top. Ideally, do they run well? Absolutely. Getting on base I would probably prioritize (up top), or just be a really good offensive player over speed. I think Pete has the attributes to move up there, for sure. It’ll happen at the right time."

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Craig Counsell leaves open the possibility of batting Pete Crow-Armstrong leadoff in 2025

There will be myriad interpretations of "the right time," but Counsell clearly does not know the answer to that question yet. It sure does sound like PCA could be batting leadoff when the 2025 campaign rolls around, though. The offense hasn't been good enough to justify such a move this season, but Crow-Armstrong always displayed compelling bat-to-ball skills with Triple-A Iowa. Now he's beginning to translate his immense talent to the highest level of professional baseball.

When the offense is up to par, the speed is gravy. Historically, the fastest players bat first. The league has evolved in recent years with analytics and other statistical considerations coming into play, but there is still value in batting an absolute speed demon in the No. 1 slot. Crow-Armstrong can get around the bases quicker than anybody in the MLB. Put him in front of the heart of the lineup, and he's going to leg out more runs than your average ballplayer.

There's a compelling argument to make the switch tonight. Right now. Not only is PCA one of the hottest bats in the Cubs lineup, but he is arguably the organization's most important long-term asset. The Cubs aren't mathematically eliminated from Wild Card contention yet, but it ain't happening. We can be frank. The rest of this Cubs' season should be devoted to some level of experimentation and player development. Why not get PCA more reps in the No. 1 spot and see how it looks in action, rather than pondering the concept on paper?

It's not like the Cubs have much to lose. That is the simple truth of the matter. Chicago is already looking ahead to next season and Crow-Armstrong is on a rapid ascent. There's plenty to be excited about on the North Side, despite the broader disappointment of this season.