Pete Crow-Armstrong is an All-Star again.
The Chicago Cubs center fielder was named to the National League All-Star team Saturday as a reserve, earning the honor to play in the Midsummer Classic in back-to-back seasons. This year, he was selected by his peers.
“Nice to get the nod from the baseball world,” Crow-Armstrong said after the Cubs’ 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at foggy Wrigley Field. “Having the fan vote get me in last year is obviously special, just felt like I was able to reach the baseball world as a whole.
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“But when it’s internal like this, knowing how hard this game is and how hard a lot of guys are working on a daily basis, that means a lot to me just ’cause first and foremost I want their respect as much as I want to go and compete and beat everybody. The best compliment you can get as a baseball player is someone in the other uniform’s respect. … I don’t want to compare this year to last year, but it really means a lot coming from this stage of the voting.”
The All-Star recognition comes fresh off winning NL Player of the Month for the first time in his career following one of the best months in franchise history.
Crow-Armstrong last month hit .381 with 11 HRs, 20 RBIs, five doubles, two triples, 17 walks, 21 runs, eight stolen bases, a .781 slugging percentage and a .468 on-base percentage in 26 games.
He’s the first Cubs player to win player of the month since Cody Bellinger in July 2023 and the 15th overall.
“In Pete’s case, what’s fun to watch is that there’s something in every part of the game that he’s able to do,” manager Craig Counsell said Saturday. “And he also does it — he’s not some huge person that does it. He’s a pretty normal-sized person that can do it. I think that also creates a connection with fans. And he’s an entertainer. … He loves that part of it. He’s good at it. He’s naturally wired to do it. So you get a lot of it.”
Crow-Armstrong, 24, became the third player in MLB history to have a calendar month with at least a .375 average, .775 slugging percentage, 80 total bases, 10 home runs, five steals and 15 walks. Hall of Famers Babe Ruth (three times, most recently May 1930) and Lou Gehrig (June 1930) were the others.
His stellar June nearly propelled Crow-Armstrong into the final phase of fan voting that determines All-Star Game starters after getting the start last year, almost doubling his vote totals in the final three days to finish 10th among NL outfielders (1,063,065), roughly 400,000 behind the last outfield spot to advance to the next round.
Crow-Armstrong’s 5.2 fWAR easily leads all MLB hitters, with Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. the next closest at 4.6; they are only two position players with an fWAR above 4.0.
Crow-Armstrong had a breakout season last year, finishing with 37 double, 31 home runs, 95 RBIs, 35 stolen bases and a 5.9 fWAR. He quickly became a fan favorite, delivering in key moments under pressure — with those fans chanting “P-C-A.”
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“Every player, when they get into a big situation, you need practice, kind of like how does it affect you being in a bigger situation,” Counsell said. “For Pete, if the crowd’s chanting your name, it’s probably just a little more. But it’s the same concept. The game sometimes does it to you too. The ninth inning at-bat, tie game, things like that. I think that’s part of growth, it’s part of experience.”
The 96th All-Star Game is July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Next Year’s game is scheduled to be played at Wrigley Field for the first time since 1990 and fourth time ever.
baiduhai freelance reporter Andy Martinez contributed.