Pete Crow-Armstrong Has Been a Problem for the Cubs – And He Knows It

The Chicago Cubs' star center fielder called his recent mistakes "genuinely laughable" following another loss on Wednesday.

Apr 25, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) reacts after striking out against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs' slump falls on the shoulders of every player in the clubhouse, but one in particular is feeling the weight more than others.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has been a fixture in headlines over the last handful of days. It all started during the Crosstown Classic, when the star center fielder failed to come up with a highlight catch against the fence in right center. The ball dropped and allowed the White Sox to score two runs. A South Side fan proceeded to give Crow-Armstrong an earful, only for him to give it right back.

Crow-Armstrong's NSFW response went viral. He also waited to apologize for his comments until the next day. An undisclosed fine came his way shortly after, per ESPN. The interaction with a rival fan made him an easy target on social media. The best way to quickly put this behind him would be to help lift his team out of the mud. Unfortunately for the Cubs, Crow-Armstrong has done the exact opposite.

Chicago was swept by the Milwaukee Brewers this week and lost the NL Central's top spot in the process. They managed to score a mere five runs over the three games, giving up 19. Crow-Armstrong came out of the series with only one hit and six strikeouts. But, somehow, things were even worse in the field.

Known as an elite defender, Crow-Armstrong watched a relatively routine fly ball bounce off his mitt on Tuesday night. Garrett Mitchell made his way into scoring position. One night later, David Hamilton hit a line drive to dead center that rolled perfectly in Crow-Armstrong's direction. Instead of scooping it up and having a possible play at home plate, the ball rolled right past Crow-Armstrong to the warning track.

Suddenly, the Brewers had a three-run lead on an inside-the-park home run. It was a brutal and jarring mistake.

PCA lets a ball get by him for a Little League HRpic.twitter.com/R8fEvPn9hx

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) May 21, 2026

Signing a six-year extension after his breakout 2025 campaign, his off start to the year has only garnered more scrutiny. He is hitting a mere .225 with a career-worst .659 OPS. A barrel rate that sat at 13.1 percent last season has plummeted to 7.8 percent. He's also got only five home runs to his name after smashing 31 in his 157 appearances last season.

Crow-Armstrong ended 2025 with an offensive WAR of 13.5, which played a big part in helping him finish Top 15 in overall WAR. This number checks in at a concerning -1.2 so far this year. Where does this rank on the MLB leaderboard? 113th.

Of course, it's still very early in the season, and thus there is plenty of time for Crow-Armstrong to find a more familiar groove at the plate. But it's only going to be harder stomach this lack of production if things begin to seep over to the defensive side of the ball. One of the primary reasons the Cubs have managed to stay near the top of the NL despite all their issues has been their defense. If that begins to take a hit, this group could be in serious trouble.

Pete Crow-Armstrong Calls Himself Out After Cubs Loss

May 16, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) points after he hits a two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The first step in fixing a problem is accepting that there is a problem. Pete Crow-Armstrong did that on Wednesday night. After the Cubs fell 5-0 to their division rival, Crow-Armstrong addressed his blunder in the outfield and didn't mince words about his recent play.

“Yesterday and today, it’s genuinely laughable," Crow-Armstrong told the media (h/t WGN Sports). One thing I can fall back on is that it’s never really a lack of focus, but trying too hard and trying to make up for the lack of production that I have given this team and this city. Not acting how I should. Anything physical usually starts mental, and that’s just what I’m showing everyone right now. Got to just show up and keep pushing. That can’t happen – that kind of stuff."

It's a sobering and necessary take from the 24-year-old. The question now is, how quickly can he right the ship? A mental hurdle can be a lot more challenging to overcome than a physical one, especially when the rest of your team is also struggling to perform. With that in mind, one has to wonder if the manager will take matters into his own hands soon enough.

To be sure, Crow-Armstrong isn't someone you're going to sit for multiple games in a row. He needs to be out there. But could a rest day or two help him out? Now would be the right time for Craig Counsell to try it out with the schedule easing up a little. If that isn't in the card, then the Cubs can only hope Thursday's off day acts as a much-needed reset for the young star.

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