Cubs Rumors: Shohei Ohtani buzz, PCA’s next step, playoff outlook

Cubs Rumors: Pete Crow-Armstrong is almost ready for the big leagues

Chicago Cubs prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is one of the franchise's most popular up-and-comers for a reason. As one of the best gloves in the minors, PCA is a bona fide defensive dynamo.

The more questionable part of his game is his offense as the 21-year-old outfielder continues to try and improve his numbers at the plate.

Chicago Sun Times' James Fegan wrote that Crow-Armstrong still has work to do with the bat, perhaps by way of making slight swing adjustments and learning how to take high fastballs.

PCA, ranked as a top-15 prospect in baseball, just hit his third grand slam of the season last week and his first in Triple-A. The 2020 first-round pick by the Mets was promoted to the highest level of the minors in early August and has largely been hot and cold, sometimes going on a torrid hitting streak and sometimes delivering disappointing hitless performances.

If the Cubs are going to include PCA in their future lineups, he's going to have to see major improvements in his offensive production. In 32 games with Triple-A Iowa, Crow-Armstrong is slashing .289/.327/.431 with an OPS of .757, the worst numbers of his fledgling career.

The 21-year-old can elevate center field with his precocious defense, but can he step it up at the plate?