Chicago Cubs Phenom May Be Franchise’s Next Cornerstone
Thumb through the history books of the Chicago Cubs and you’ll come across plenty of players that one could consider cornerstones of the franchise.
These are players that without whom the Cubs might not be, well, the Cubs.
I mean, can anyone think of the Cubs without Ernie Banks? Ryne Sandberg? Billy Williams? Andre Dawson?
It’s an impressive list of cornerstone players, and the Cubs might have another in their midst.
The Kansas City Royals believe they have one in shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. That’s why, earlier this week, the Royals locked up Witt, barely eligible for salary arbitration, to an 11-year contract extension that will play him more than $250 million.
Inspired by that, MLB.com decided to do some homework and determine each MLB team’s future cornerstone player.
There were two criteria. First, the player had to be 25 years old or younger. Second, that player must have already made his MLB debut, unless it’s a minor league player under a long-term deal, such as Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio.
So, who was it? The Cubs have a stacked farm system, but their top prospect, outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, rose to the top.
Crow-Armstrong has long been watched by baseball scouts and executives for his glove. He won a minor league Gold Glove in 2022 and is considered one of the best defensive prospects in the game.
He made his MLB debut last September and while he failed to get a hit in 14 at-bats, he was a capable defensive replacement for the Cubs in the late innings.
Last season with Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa he batted .283/.365/.511/.876 with 26 doubles, seven triples, 20 home runs and 82 RBI. He also stole 37 bases.
It may only be a matter of time before his bat catches up at the Major League level. And, with questions surrounding whether Cody Bellinger will return to Chicago, Crow-Armstrong is, at the moment, in line to compete for the starting center field job.
His time may be coming soon, and if it goes the way the Cubs hope, he could be their cornerstone for years to come.
