On Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, one name was echoing across the stands. It was the Chicago Cubs’ center fielder, Pete Crow-Armstrong. As the Cubs hosted the Milwaukee Brewers for a three-game series, this young star sent the audience into a frenzy twice in the same inning. His unmatched dominance had the fans chanting “P-C-A” in unison. Soon enough, those chants turned into roars of “M-V-P” as the Cubs secured the 5-3 win.

During the eighth inning, Crow-Armstrong prevented Brice Turang from hitting a double. He smoothly made his way to left center field and dove to catch a line drive. He even rolled over but didn’t lose his grip on the ball until he got back to his feet. “P-C-A… P-C-A…” the crowd roared.

He then hit his career-best home run in the bottom of the eighth. His home run went straight toward the right field scoreboard with an exit velocity of 111.5 mph. It was a terrific 452-foot high blast. As this happened, the league, analysts, and everyone alike had one question. Will Crow-Armstrong participate in this year’s home run derby?

Interestingly, just a night before his career-best home run, he already answered this question. “No, that’s not for me.” He said. “Those moments are ones I really have to slow down in.” To him, that’s a “different kind of power.” Apparently, Crow-Armstrong isn’t sure if he can handle the timer factor. “That would be a struggle,” he added.

He expressed how overwhelming it is to experience immense love from the fans. Regarding his career-best homer and all the attention he received after the game, he just had one thing to say: “I tried soaking it in.”

As of now, Crow-Armstrong wants to devote all his focus to this regular season. He believes derby is not for him at the moment. Well, if not his derby moments, we certaintly have his MVP moments. In fact, even manager Craig Counsell admitted his impact: ‘‘He’s playing at as high a level as I’ve seen a center fielder play.’’ 

That’s worth embracing!

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s impact beyond the batter’s box

The league was stunned by PCA’s 452 high home run blast, and the analysts were focused on his home run derby decision. However, Crow-Armstrong’s teammate and the league’s favorite, Kyle Tucker, was focused on his defense. In a media appearance, Tucker was transparent about what it’s like to share the outfield with PCA.

In fact, not just PCA, but the outfield trio of Tucker, Crow-Armstrong, and Ian Happ is arguably one of the best defensive trios in this league. “I mean, it definitely makes it easier on us having PCA in the center.” It’s easier having Armstrong in center because Tucker revealed that he loves running down balls all around.

For the record, Tucker is a legend himself. He’s a gold glove winner, while the other outfielder, Happ, also holds three gold gloves. Still, Tucker was raving about PCA and his impact on the outfield. Beyond his defense, Armstrong also holds the second-best odds for the NL MVP 2025. It may suprise you, but he’s just behind the Los Angeles Dodgers’ star Shohei Ohtani.

Currently, Crow-Armstrong is ranked among the league’s best stars, like Aaron Judge and Tucker. Perhaps it makes sense why he wouldn’t opt for a home run derby. He can’t shift his focus away from the regular season games. After all, he wants to maintain his rank.

Did you know that before landing with the Cubs, PCA was the New York Mets’ 2020 first-round pick? Now, he’s the anchor of the Cubs’ outfield. He’s clearly setting a standard!