MILWAUKEE — “Let PCA be PCA” is the narrative being tossed around as Pete-Crow-Armstrong has emerged this season as one of the game’s best all-around talents.
But what exactly does that mean?
When I asked manager Craig Counsell before Sunday’s 4-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, he wasn’t sure himself.
“What are we supposed to tell Pete to stop doing?” he replied. “I don’t know either.”
One Marquee Sports Network personality interjected by saying Crow-Armstrong ticked off other teams with his celebrations. But there’s no real evidence that anyone has objected to his display of emotions.
“I just don’t think he’s done anything I would describe as ‘showy,’” Counsell said. “There are things you can do (that are showboating), but I don’t think he’s done anything of that nature.”
Crow-Armstrong was quiet on Sunday as the Cubs offense was shut down by Freddy Peralta and three Brewers relievers. The bigger concern was the possible loss of starter Shota Imanaga, who carried a shutout into the sixth inning before being removed with a left hamstring strain injury while covering first base on a play.
Imanaga will get an MRI on Monday before the Cubs decide whether to put him on the injured list.
The Cubs finished the road trip with a 4-2 record and series wins in Pittsburgh and Milwaukee.
“Today obviously we’d have rather put up more runs than none and win the game,” Kyle Tucker said. “But we can’t complain too much. We won the series and you’ve got to take the good with the bad and move forward to the next series.”
Tucker incurred right hip pain during a ninth inning slide but insisted he’d be fine for Monday’s game at Wrigley Field against the San Francisco Giants.
Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-3 Sunday after hitting three home runs in the two Cubs wins. He entered the game tied for second in the majors with a 2.2 fWAR, and from April 13 through Saturday had more home runs (9), RBI (21) and extra-base hits (16) than any other player.
It was one year ago this month that Crow-Armstrong was demoted to Triple-A Iowa after hitting .236 with one home run and 9 RBI in his first 23 games of 2024. He was quickly brought back up, and the Cubs decided to let him learn at the major-league level.
What a difference a year makes.
Crow-Armstrong credited Counsell for allowing him to stay true to himself.
“From the jump that’s been (Counsell’s) m.o. for me,” the 23-year-old said. “He’s never wanted me to do anything but be myself, and he’s given me a chance to see how I fit in with this team over the last couple years. We all talked about it a lot last year where I had a lot of opportunities to fail and they gave me some good time to find my footing.”
Counsell likes to point out that baseball is entertainment. He often likens it to a reality TV show, where some players are bigger characters than others, and he considers himself a flop as an entertainer. If that’s the case, if the Cubs were like “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” of the baseball world, Crow-Armstrong would be one of the housewives with top billing, on which everyone has an opinion.
“It’s cool that he’s got a pretty big personality and he hasn’t lost that at all,” starter Jameson Taillon said. “Sometimes in the big leagues (that’s discouraged). It’s a testament to everyone in the Cubs organization for letting him shine bright. Sometimes with young guys, people want to tell them to stay quiet. I feel like we’ve done a good job of being like, ‘Nah, go be yourself. Go be a dude, be a star.’ And I think that helps.”
The Cubs open a three-game series Monday against the Giants, another National League West team off to a strong start after the Cubs finished an opening-month gauntlet that included an 11-9 record against the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Following an off day Thursday, the Cubs travel to New York to begin a three-game weekend series against the Mets, another elite team and the organization where Crow-Armstrong started his career before being dealt to the Cubs in 2021 in the Javier Báez deal.
Crow-Armstrong recalled the time as a Mets prospect when he overslept on a day he was scheduled for a COVID-19 test and was called on the carpet by farm director Jared Banner, who is now an assistant general manager under Cubs GM Carter Hawkins.
“That was the best blessing in disguise because we obviously talked about it,” Crow-Armstrong said. “We got to know each other from the jump. Everybody, all the way back to the Mets, I’ve felt pretty free, but especially here. The people have given me the green light to go be myself without question. I’m grateful for that because it’s probably a different story if I am being held back.”
The Cubs have had players over the years who’ve crossed the line and done or said things that weren’t in the best interests of the team. Former pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who became a preacher after retirement, was constantly under the microscope for letting his emotions get the best of him.
Counsell said if he saw Crow-Armstrong do something that “didn’t make sense for the team” he would say something, as he’s done in the past with players he’s managed.
“But I haven’t seen anything like that,” he said.
The Cubs have a veteran-infused clubhouse, and Crow-Armstrong’s teammates also would say something if needed.
“There are times when we all need to be reigned in a little here and there, and if somebody can point something out, and we all keep each other humble,” Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “This team loves to talk trash to one another. All the ways we hold each other accountable is a way to keep everyone in line, but also comfortable in their own skin.”
Few players are as comfortable in their own skin as PCA, and his sudden emergence in ’25 has the rest of baseball talking.
