Chicago Cubs center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to dominate at Triple-A Iowa, providing something of a nightly reminder why he is considered the top prospect in the system. And why we are increasingly eager to see him in Chicago.
Tonight’s installment was PCA turning a dribbler past first base into just about the fastest triple you’ll see:
Home to third in 11.37 seconds..is that fast? 💨 pic.twitter.com/llGMK3QtmG
— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 20, 2023
That speed, combined with his elite defense, would play at the big league level in September, even if only in a complementary role as he supports the starters and acclimates to the Major League life.
We know the Cubs have said a PCA promotion in September is under consideration, and now Tommy Birch reports that there’s another clue afoot:
Could Pete Crow-Armstrong earn a late season callup?
The Cubs are making a move next week signifying that they're definitely considering it. https://t.co/NiZRehjwpi— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) August 20, 2023
As Birch reports, the Iowa Cubs are going to have PCA start playing some corner outfield next week. It’s a relatively safe assumption that Crow-Armstrong, an elite defensive center fielder, can handle the corners with aplomb. But, if he’s going to come up to the big league team and be considered a guy who can chip in on defense all over the outfield, then it would be nice to get him some additional experience first.
In other words, there’d be little reason to give PCA looks in the corner outfield spots at Iowa next week unless it was tied to the POSSIBILITY of him coming up to the big league team. That doesn’t mean it’s a lock, and it also doesn’t mean he did anything wrong if he’s not ultimately called up.
To be clear, PCA has played a little corner outfield before, while at Double-A Tennessee. But if you want him freshly familiar with the two corner spots – the ball does move a little differently, the angles on the throws are obviously different, and the responsibilities are different – it’s a good time to get him some starts there.
Reach Birch’s report for more on the positional decision, including thoughts from PCA himself.
