Pete Crow-Armstrong Gets Candid About His Second-Half Struggles

Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had a great overall season in 2025.

He hit 31 home runs, stole 35 bases, and won a Gold Glove. However, it could've been even better had his production not fallen off a cliff in the second half of the season.

After hitting 25 home runs in his first 95 games, he hit just six in the remaining 62 games played. His OPS dipped from .847 in the first half to a .634 OPS in the second half, batting just .216.

However, Crow-Armstrong knows he has to be better and got real with Wayne Drehs of the Chicago Magazine.

Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong | David Banks-Imagn Images

What did Crow-Armstrong say?

Prior to the All-Star Game, Crow-Armstrong was making an argument not only for National League MVP, but perhaps the best player in baseball.

And Cubs fans were certainly letting him know it, chanting "MVP" every chance they got.

"No one else in the game’s history had stolen 25 bases, hit 25 home runs, and batted in 70 runs before the break," Drehs wrote. "And that’s on top of Crow-Armstrong’s Gold Glove defense."

While the elite defense remained (+24 Outs Above Average), the power and bat-to-ball skills made him a below-average hitter in the second half.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Crow-Armstrong didn't exactly handle his struggles well. "There were helmets thrown," Drehs wrote. "Bats tossed. And TikTok accounts mocking his emotional outbursts. After those games, he would toss and turn in bed at night, stewing about his performance."

Crow-Armstrong is still not pleased with his second-half performance. And he shouldn't be.

“I hit 25 f---ing homers in the first half and six in the second. That’s terrible.”
Pete Crow-Armstrong

But is there a silver lining for this?

Crow-Armstrong is going to use this past season as fuel to get better. That's what the greats do. But that doesn't mean he'll necessarily get over it quickly.

“That’s the stuff that keeps me up. It’s never because I went 0 for 4 that I can’t sleep. It’s always because I’m embarrassed. Pissed and embarrassed. I don’t throw my stuff all around and spaz out to show people I give a shit. What it shows is that it’s something I still need to work on.”
Pete Crow-Armstrong

If Crow-Armstrong plays to his potential, as we saw before the All-Star Break, he's an elite ballplayer. Cubs fans will have to hope that he can regain that footing and make it happen over a full season.

Because in a lot of ways, Chicago's season depends on it.