ATLANTA — As the Cubs’ center fielder jogged out to his position on July 3, he couldn’t help but notice the 19 shirtless fans screaming his name.
Just above the iconic Wrigley Field ivy, a chain of high schoolers from suburban Chicago roared in response to the arrival of their favorite player. They also came with a silent, albeit even more unmistakable message. Emblazoned on their chests in blue paint: PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG. Seventeen letters on seventeen canvases. One kid had an unpainted front to indicate the space between PETE and CROW. The hyphen made it 19.
According to Cubs sideline reporter Taylor McGregor, the pals passionately argued over who got to be the dash. After much negotiation, the hyphen was awarded to the fastest member of the group, a youngster identified only as “Ribs.”
During their interview, as a routine fly ball landed lazily in Crow-Armstrong’s glove, his cheering section erupted: “PETE, PETE, PETE.” Crow-Armstrong, cool as an Icelandic cucumber, nodded in acknowledgement before sauntering back to his position.
The absurd spectacle was yet another memorable moment in what has been an emphatic breakout season for the 23-year-old, who is starting in center for the National League in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. As the Cubs make a strong push toward their first postseason appearance since 2020, Crow-Armstrong has emerged as a main character — crucial to the team’s imposing offense, its run-prevention unit and the overall reinvigorated atmosphere at the national landmark on the north side of Chicago. On a team full of notable characters and productive players, he’s the reason you turn on the television.
In 95 games, PCA has clubbed 25 home runs and swiped 27 bags, becoming only the third player in MLB history with 25/25 before the All-Star break. In the field, he has been even more exhilarating, posting the best defensive metrics of any big-league outfielder. Altogether, Crow-Armstrong has been worth 4.9 FanGraphs WAR. By that metric, only Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh have been more valuable in 2025.
But Crow-Armstrong is much, much more than his statistical output. His burgeoning superstardom is equally a product of his magnetic personality. PCA is the epitome of California cool with a dollop of Gen-Z, a delightfully affable and effortlessly funny guy. He is a hand-shaker, a name-rememberer, a question-asker. He appears to float through life like he floats across a ballfield — the type of person that people want to be around.
The results for this All-Star Game resoundingly affirmed his newfound popularity.
After the first round of fan voting, Crow-Armstrong led all National League outfielders with a 3,021,265 total that ranked sixth league-wide. The only players ahead of PCA were Judge, Raleigh and a trio of Los Angeles Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman).
During the All-Star festivities here in Atlanta, Crow-Armstrong has been a hot commodity. On the field at pre-Derby batting practice, he was swarmed by media, reporters, celebrities, retired players and assorted lookie-loos. He is particularly adored by youngsters, who are drawn to his energetic play and zippy vibe — your favorite player’s kid’s favorite player.
“Pete gets it. I think that’s the coolest thing — he truly gets it,” teammate and fellow All-Star Matt Boyd said Monday. “It’s not too big for him. Like, you can tell he really embraces the stage.”
And the stage embraces him.
The 23-year-old dynamo is wonderfully easy to enjoy. He bounces across the diamond like a jackrabbit on a trampoline. On the basepaths, he’s a highlight reel waiting to happen, a speed demon with a high baseball IQ, ready and eager to push the envelope. At the dish, where he has taken the biggest, most important strides, Crow-Armstrong has become a legitimate offensive force and power threat.
But where PCA shines brightest is in center field. His defensive exploits are thrilling. He makes the difficult look routine, the impossible look sensational. In the grass, he is a supercharged Roomba, capable of snatching nearly any batted ball that comes his way. That aspect of PCA’s game is what put him on the map as an amateur, and by this point, old concerns about whether he would grow into meaningful big-league power have been entirely put to bed.
Most MLB fans didn’t know of Pete Crow-Armstrong before this season began. They do now. (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports)
(Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports)
Beneath all the exuberant energy, Crow-Armstrong’s ability to stay calm and grounded has been a crucial part of his ascension. That process begins the moment he wakes and continues until he steps to the plate.
“I’ve done things a little bit differently this year,” he told Yahoo Sports during All-Star media availability. “Like, I’ve taken more control over how I want my days to look. I think that really contributes to it as well.”
Crow-Armstrong has utilized the breathwork practices of Thich Nhat Hanh, a world-renowned Vietnamese monk, known lovingly as the “Father of Mindfulness.” Whereas most players seek to pump themselves up before and during games, Crow-Armstrong takes a different approach, opting for slow-paced playlists and walk-up songs that keep him calm.
“I bring a lot of energy in a game that doesn’t always need it. So I think it’s important for me to center myself,” he told Genius in April 2024 when explaining why he was walking up to Bob Marley’s “Sun is Shining.”
“He’s got this perfect blend of, like, he believes in his ability, but he’s got gratitude in where he’s at,” Boyd observed.
That sense of gratitude, for Crow-Armstrong, appears to stem from his constant pursuit of simplicity. In many ways, his life has grown frantic, complicated, uncontrollable. But in dark script written on the outside of his right forearm, PCA has a tattoo that serves as something of a daily roadmap.
“Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive.” The quote is attributed to Hafez, a 14th-century Persian poet.
Crow-Armstrong, like many of his counterparts, is forever seeking emotional equilibrium. Playing every day necessitates a certain even-keeled approach, an internal tranquility. That’s true even for a lightning bolt such as Crow-Armstrong, who provides a reminder that infectious, unfettered joy can spring from grounded calm
But then, when the lights are brightest, he comes alive. Crow-Armstrong plays like he’s glad to be alive — and everyone watching him feels the same.
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