Cubs President Jed Hoyer Gets Blunt About Pete Crow-Armstrong's Second-Half Struggles

Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer sent a clear message about Pete Crow-Armstrong's mediocre end to the 2025 MLB season.

Jun 28, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) in the dugout during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Through the first few months of the 2025 MLB season, Chicago Cubs fans thought the NL MVP race was going to be between two of their outfielders.

Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong were the best duo in baseball for the early portion of Chicago's 2025 campaign. Both players got off to scalding-hot offensive starts and were playing great defense in the field for a Cubs team that looked like it might have already run away with the NL Central by the All-Star break.

By All-Star weekend, PCA had 25 home runs, an .846 OPS, and 27 stolen bases, while Tucker had a .280 average with an .883 OPS and 17 home runs. Both guys earned spots on the National League's All-Star roster and looked poised to continue their stellar campaigns in the season's second half.

Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

That's not what happened. PCA's stats plummeted in the second half, as he hit .216 with a .634 OPS, 6 home runs, and 8 stolen bases after the All-Star break, while Tucker (who missed time with an injury) produced 5 home runs and a .738 OPS.

Jed Hoyer Addresses Pete Crow-Armstrong's Second-Half Struggles

PCA's downward slide was more surprising than Tucker's, if only because it was much more drastic. And Cubs president Jed Hoyer addressed his star center fielder's second-half woes when addressing the media on October 15.

"In totality, [PCA] had a great year. Going 30/30 and driving in almost 100 runs... He was so good early on, and then he struggled. And this is his first full season, and that's something I talked to Pete a lot about over the course of the year. This is the first time he has gone through an entire season," Hoyer said, per an X post from Marquee Sports Network.

“There could have been some fatigue that set in … I expect him to keep getting better and better.”

Jed Hoyer addresses PCA’s 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/7h3U6P9DyM

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) October 15, 2025

"There could have been some fatigue there that set in, and going forward, I think he's gonna have to shrink his strike zone and he's gonna have to focus on those things," he added. "But I think he will. He's still 23 years old, he's still learning. So I expect him to keep getting better and better... I have no question that he'll continue to get better."

Hoyer went on to note that even when PCA isn't performing at the plate, he's still an impact player because of how great he is defensively, which Cubs fans got to see almost every day this season.

"I think he's the best defensive player in baseball," Hoyer added of PCA. "Not only did he have a huge role on our team offensively, but when you think about run prevention, he's right there at the top of it."

Hoyer doesn't sound too concerned about PCA's second-half, which is a sentiment that's shared by many Chicago fans.

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