Pete Crow-Armstrong Bio
Peter Henry Crow-Armstrong, widely known by his initials “PCA,” is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on March 25, 2002, in Los Angeles, California, he made his MLB debut in 2023 after a celebrated minor league career. Crow-Armstrong, who also goes by Pete Crow-Armstrong, is recognized for his speed, defensive range, and developing power at the plate. In 2025, he emerged as a National League All-Star and earned his first Gold Glove Award, cementing his status among the league’s most dynamic young center fielders.
Early Life and Background
Peter Henry Crow-Armstrong was born on March 25, 2002, in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in a household steeped in the entertainment industry; his parents, Matthew John Armstrong and Ashley Crow, are both actors. Crow-Armstrong’s introduction to the sport came through Sherman Oaks Little League, where he developed the athletic foundation that would later define his professional profile.
He attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, where he became one of the most decorated amateur players in the region. In 2019, his junior year, he was named the Los Angeles Times Player of the Year after batting .395 with three home runs, 23 runs batted in, and 47 hits across 34 games, striking out only seven times. Before his senior year was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, Crow-Armstrong was hitting .514 and had committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt University.
Path to Baseball
Crow-Armstrong’s path to professional baseball included a decorated run with USA Baseball’s youth national teams. In 2014, he joined the Under-12 National Team, which earned a silver medal at the COPABE U-12 Pan-American Championship. He continued with the program at the Under-14 and Under-15 levels, sharing the U-15 Pan-American gold medal with the Dominican Republic. In 2018, he helped the Under-18 National Team win gold at the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships, and in 2019, he represented the United States at the U-18 Baseball World Cup, finishing with a .364 batting average and a spot on the U-18 All-World Team.
That summer, he also played in the 2019 Under Armour All-America Baseball Game, further elevating his draft stock. Considered one of the top prospects for the 2020 MLB Draft, Crow-Armstrong was selected by the New York Mets with the 19th overall pick. He signed with the Mets on June 25 for a $3.4 million bonus, though the cancellation of the minor league season due to the pandemic prevented him from playing a game in 2020.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Career
Early Career (2020-2021)
Crow-Armstrong began his professional career in 2021 with the St. Lucie Mets of the Low-A Southeast League, where he hit .417 with four runs batted in and two stolen bases over 24 at-bats. On May 18, 2021, the Mets announced that he would undergo surgery on his right shoulder to repair a glenoid labral articular disruption, ending his season. On July 30, 2021, the Mets traded Crow-Armstrong to the Chicago Cubs in a deadline deal that sent Javier Báez and Trevor Williams to New York.
Chicago Cubs Prospect Years (2022-2023)
Crow-Armstrong opened the 2022 season with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Low-A Carolina League and was promoted to the South Bend Cubs of the High-A Midwest League in late May. He was selected to represent the Cubs at the All-Star Futures Game and was later named a MiLB Gold Glove recipient as one of the three best defensive outfielders in the minor leagues. Crow-Armstrong and South Bend finished the year as Midwest League champions.
On February 6, 2023, Crow-Armstrong was among 32 non-roster players invited to the Cubs’ spring training camp. He opened 2023 with the Tennessee Smokies of the Double-A Southern League, entering the year as the Cubs’ top overall prospect and the sixth-ranked outfield prospect in baseball. After slashing .289/.371/.527 with 14 home runs, 60 runs batted in, and 27 stolen bases in 73 Double-A games, he was promoted to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs on July 31.
Major League Debut (2023)
On September 11, 2023, following a combined .876 OPS in the minors, the Cubs called up Crow-Armstrong to the major leagues. He made his MLB debut that day against the Colorado Rockies, entering as a pinch runner in the seventh inning and recording a sacrifice bunt in his first career plate appearance in the ninth. On September 12, he made his first MLB start in center field. Across 13 September games, Crow-Armstrong batted 0-for-14 with three walks and two stolen bases, mostly serving as a pinch runner.
2024 Rookie Season
Crow-Armstrong was optioned to Triple-A to begin the 2024 season after struggling in spring training. He was recalled on April 24, filling in for an injured Cody Bellinger, and collected his first career hit two days later: a go-ahead two-run home run off Bryan Abreu of the Houston Astros. On August 23, Crow-Armstrong hit an inside-the-park home run off Max Meyer of the Miami Marlins, recorded as the fastest time to home plate from a base hit since 2017 at 14.08 seconds, with a peak sprint speed of 30.4 feet per second. In 123 games for the Cubs, he slashed .237/.286/.384 with 10 home runs, 27 stolen bases, and 47 runs batted in, ranking as the second-best defensive outfielder and tied for the third-fastest baserunner according to Statcast.
2025 All-Star and Gold Glove Season
Crow-Armstrong was the Cubs’ opening day center fielder in 2025, as the team began the season in Japan. On May 23, he hit a go-ahead grand slam in a six-run seventh inning to lead Chicago to a 13-6 road win over the Cincinnati Reds, becoming the first Cubs player with two six-RBI games in a calendar month since runs batted in became an official statistic in 1920. On June 19, he hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the first inning to become the first player in 2025 to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
On July 2, Crow-Armstrong was named the National League’s starting center fielder for the All-Star Game after receiving more than 3 million votes. With two home runs on July 10, he became the fourth-fastest player in major league history to reach 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season, doing so in 92 games. At the All-Star break, he was slashing .265/.302/.544 with 25 home runs and 27 stolen bases. On September 26, Crow-Armstrong joined the 30-30 club with a two-run home run off St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas, becoming the second player in Cubs history to record a 30-30 season alongside Sammy Sosa. He finished the year batting .247/.287/.481 with 31 home runs, 95 runs batted in, 35 stolen bases, and an MLB-leading 12 sacrifice flies. On November 2, 2025, he was awarded his first career Gold Glove Award for National League center fielders.
Driving Style and Strengths
Crow-Armstrong’s game is built on elite speed, rangy defense, and a rapidly maturing power stroke. His sprint speed has produced some of the fastest base-running times in the sport, and his instincts in center field routinely show up among Statcast’s top outfield defenders. He pairs those tools with the situational awareness to swipe bases, take extra bases, and deliver clutch hits in key spots.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond his 30-30 season and Gold Glove Award, Crow-Armstrong’s 2025 campaign featured his first career grand slam, his first 20-20 and 25-25 milestones, and a starting nod in the National League outfield at the All-Star Game. In the 2025 postseason, he slashed .185 with three runs batted in and a stolen base as the Cubs earned the No. 4 seed and home-field advantage in the National League Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Career Wins
Crow-Armstrong’s verified highlights include the Midwest League championship with South Bend in 2022, a MiLB Gold Glove Award, a pair of All-Star Futures Game selections, and his 2025 National League Gold Glove Award at center field.
Minor League and Prospect Highlights
As a Cub farmhand, Crow-Armstrong earned a MiLB Gold Glove Award in 2022, was twice named to the All-Star Futures Game, and helped South Bend capture the Midwest League title. He reached Triple-A in 2023 and combined for a .876 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A before his big-league call-up.
Major League Highlights
Crow-Armstrong’s major league milestones include his first career home run in April 2024, a record-setting inside-the-park home run in August 2024, and a 2025 season that featured his first grand slam, a 30-30 campaign, a National League All-Star start, and his first Gold Glove Award.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Crow-Armstrong was raised in Los Angeles by his parents, Matthew John Armstrong and Ashley Crow, both actors. Their support allowed him to pursue elite-level baseball from an early age, including his time with Sherman Oaks Little League and Harvard-Westlake School.
Personal Life
Known for his blond bleached hair, Crow-Armstrong added blue stars to his hair before the 2025 season. Before that same season, he changed his Cubs uniform number from 52 to 4 after losing a bet to president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who made a 12-foot basketball shot.
2025 Season Performance
Crow-Armstrong’s 2025 season was a breakout on both sides of the ball. He opened the year as the Cubs’ everyday center fielder, helped pace the offense in the early months, and joined the rare 30-30 club in late September. His grand slam against the Reds, his 20-20 and 25-25 milestones, and his starting center fielder nod at the All-Star Game all reflected his emergence as a two-way star.
Although he slumped in August, batting .160 with one home run and two steals over 28 games, he rebounded to finish at .247/.287/.481 with 31 home runs, 35 stolen bases, and an MLB-leading 12 sacrifice flies. Defensively, he ranked among the league’s elite center fielders throughout the year.
The Cubs made the playoffs as the No. 4 seed and earned home-field advantage for the National League Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres. Crow-Armstrong’s 2025 campaign closed with his first Gold Glove Award on November 2, 2025, capping a season that established him as a building block for the franchise’s next competitive window.