Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Struggles Are Becoming a Problem for the Cubs

Drew Thirion|published: Thu 9th April, 10:36 2026

Mar 20, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) hits against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Last season was an awesome year for the North Side of Chicago. Young players broke out on offense, and the pitching staff became one of the best in baseball. 2025 was a season of highs for the Cubs, but 2026 has been off to a very rocky start.

The injury bug continues to devastate the pitching rotation, as Jason Steele continues to recover from his Tommy John surgery. Cade Horton joins Steele as he will miss the rest of the season with Tommy John surgery, and Matthew Boyd finds himself on the IL as well with a bicep strain. Boyd should be returning shortly, but with his laundry list of previous injuries, it’s smart to keep him healthy for the long haul.

However, I’m not worried about this pitching rotation. Even through injuries, they have the pieces to keep them afloat; my main worry comes on offense.

Pete Crow-Armstrong signed a 6-year, $115 million contract this offseason, and it felt like a smart move for the Cubs. Locking in the best defensive center fielder in the sport, who just hit 30 home runs in his breakout season, was a widely approved move in Wrigleyville. I’m not sure it will be as great a move for the Cubs in the long run.

After the All-Star Game last year, PCA showed clear signs of slowing. He slashed .216/.262/.372 with only 6 home runs, and struck out 68 times. He struggled with elevated fastballs and pitches out of the zone, and that’s continued into 2026.

He holds a 46% chase rate, 28% whiff rate, and 26% strikeout rate, all of which have increased since 2025. To make matters worse, his barrel rate has fallen off a cliff. You can’t be as aggressive as PCA, chasing pitches out of the zone, when you’re not walking at all, or crushing the ball. Crow-Armstrong is slugging only .349 this season, down from his cold second half last year.

What’s the scariest part about these struggles is that PCA might be exceeding his projected stats as well. He has a .289 wOBA and a .235 xwOBA, where the league average for wOBA is around .320.

PCA will always provide value due to his all-world abilities to roam the outfield, but a $100 million player needs to provide more than just a glove. The Cubs were 7th in baseball in OPS last season and, with their slow start, are only 16th. Seyia Suzuki, returning from injury, should fix some of those issues, but they’ll need PCA to get going if they want to contend in what could be a loaded NL Central.