Pete Crow-Armstrong returned to the Tennessee Smokies lineup last night after missing a week with an illness. He went 2-for-5, with a run scored and a stolen base and then on Wednesday PCA found a new way to make Cubs fans jaws drop.
The Smokies were already leading 5-0 in the eighth inning over the Birmingham Barons, when Crow-Armstrong stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded. The left-handed hitter got behind in the count 0-2, on two called strikes, but then worked the count back to even after fouling off 11 pitches.
And then PCA saw the 16th pitch of the at-bat.
That’s the word to describe him, special. As close to a five-tool player as you can get in baseball today and Cubs fans should be very happy that he’s with us.
Here is the entire 16 pitch at-bat that PCA capped off with his second home run in his 11th game this year.
There has been a lot of criticism directed at the Cubs front office for tearing the previous core apart, but not getting a star prospect in return. Well, for those critics, Pete Crow-Armstrong is showing that the Cubs did in fact get and currently have one of the best prospects in baseball.
After a breakout season last year, when PCA slashed .312/.376/.520, with 16 home runs and 32 stolen bases 101 games, he’s now nearing a 1.000 OPS in his first full year at Double-A. Yes, he still is only 21-years-old. but so far Pete Crow-Armstrong is living up to the hype and honestly, he’s even exceeding some of the highest expectations.
Following the Smokies’ 9-1 win on Wednesday, Crow-Armstrong is up to a .989 OPS, while batting .341. In 11 games as the leadoff hitter in Tennessee, PCA has scored 11 runs and has driven in 9 runs. He has 15 times and 6 of them have gone for extra bases; 2 HR, 2 2B, 2 3B, leading to a .614 slugging percentage.
Pete Crow-Armstrong is special. Thank you, Mets.
Smokies Notes
I keep saying how the Cubs farm system is loaded and they keep proving me right because as great as that PCA at-bat was, the big story from Wednesday’s game was left-handed starting pitcher Jordan Wicks. In his last start, Wicks gave up a home run to the very first hitter he faced and then he didn’t allow another hit, ending the game with 5 IP, 1 R, 6 K, 1 BB.
Wicks followed that up with five more no-hit innings on Wednesday.
So, when you combine his last two starts, Wicks has done this: 10 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 13 K, 2 BB.
Meanwhile, the Cubs also have two catchers in Double-A with an OPS above 1.000.
Miguel Amaya
.278/.426/.667, 3 HR, 5 2B, 1.093 OPS (11 games, 47 PA)
Pablo Aliendo
.320/.438/.600, 2 HR, 1 2B, 1.038 OPS (8 games, 33 PA)
Oh and by the way, 20-year-old Owen Caissie is hitting .308 with a 1.064 OPS in 15 games in his first year at Double-A.
