The Chicago Cubs kind of knew that they were getting something special when they acquired a 19-year-old Pete Crow-Armstrong from the New York Mets at the 2021 trade deadline. They just really didn’t know HOW special he’d be.
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On Sunday, it was announced that the 23-year-old whirlwind had won his first Gold Glove award, along with teammates Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ, who took their second and fourth honors, respectively. “PCA” is also in serious contention for the Platinum Glove award, recognizing the best overall fielder in both leagues.
“It’s great,” Crow-Armstrong told MLB.com, when asked for comment. “I think having the defense recognized is important to me, because of the story that that tells.”
PCA has been a beyond-elite Chicago Cubs defensive asset
Oct 2, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) catches a fly ball during the first inning against the San Diego Padres during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
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In many eyes, the sophomore’s defensive award was pretty much a foregone conclusion since early in the season.
PCA’s defensive prowess from day one was dazzling and it quickly became the backbone of an elite Cubs defense, as Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer had observed.
The kid got to everything and if he did look less than stellar on rare occasions, it was almost certainly on a batted ball most other outfielders wouldn’t have even been able to catch up to. The cold, hard stats support the case for PCA being beyond elite in the field.
Numbers tell the tale
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Jul 20, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) catches a fly ball hit by Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (not pictured) during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
He finished the season with 24 Outs Above Average (OAA), per Statcast— the second most of all-time since the stat has been tracked– tied for first in all of baseball with shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. He led the NL with 22 runs prevented. He topped all MLB fielders with a 95% success rate. He also made 19 5-star plays (plays with a 0-25% catch probability), registering a 59.4 percent success rate that was far and away the best in baseball when it came to those high-difficulty catches.
Crow-Armstrong’s postseason defensive accolades are a nice finishing touch on a 2025 season that could be described as bittersweet for the young talent.
Triumph through the struggles
Oct 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) reacts after the second inning of game one of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
A dominant offensive first half led to him making his first All-Star Game and it generated a lot of attention for what was believed to be the emergence of a legendary talent.
By the Midsummer Classic, he had 25 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases. Afterward, an extended slump dimmed his shining star a bit. After the All-Star break, he only managed 6 home runs, 24 RBIs, and 8 stolen bases. He would finish the season with a meek .185 batting average and .399 OPS over the Cubs’ two playoff series.
PCA was feeling the struggle, too, as evidenced by the thoughtful piece he penned for The Players Tribune at the end of the regular season.
“I’ve lost some of that [feeling of fun] in the second half of this year,” Crow-Armstrong wrote. “And I think it’s sort of like a chicken-or-egg thing. Am I not having fun because I’m not hitting, or am I not hitting because I’m not having fun? I know, right now, the work isn’t paying off for me. I’ve been talking to Nico [Hoerner] about that a lot lately. He’s the most methodical, hardest working guy I’ve ever been around. And he’s locked the f*** in. Always…I love this game more than anything. I want to be great more than anything. I mean that s***. But I think what Nico has, that I don’t yet, is the ability to ride the lows, to stay cool and calm, and trust the work, even when it’s not paying off.
“I’m working through all this because I don’t want to be in this spot any longer. I think if I can be the Pete who loves this game with all his heart, who is there for the guys in the clubhouse, who can get up and be a voice in the dugout even when he’s 0-for-whatever, that Pete will find a way to step into the box and get a result.”
A Gold Glove (and possibly a Platinum Glove) represents a good closing chapter to the storybook of this past year. For 2026, the focus will be on delivering more consistency over the long haul of a draining season. PCA won’t be 24 until late March. He’s definitely ahead of the learning curve.
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