Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong has turned his biggest weakness into a major strength

It was a month for the history books for Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Mirroring and, in many ways, outshining Sammy Sosa's unforgettable performance in June 1998, PCA put the team on his back - and has closed the gap in the National League MVP race in the process.

Crow-Armstrong enters July at 5.1 bWAR (he finished 2025 with a career-best 5.9 bWAR, for reference) - the only player in the league to hit that benchmark so far this year. He's just two homers away from a 20/20 season before the All-Star break and, after a slow start, is quickly showing why he was worth every penny of the six-year, $115 million extension the Cubs gave him this spring.

We could go on and on about all the ways he's shown growth and improvement at the plate - but let's dial in on one of the biggest upgrades in his game: his work against left-handed pitching.

Pete Crow-Armstrong is showing why the Cubs locked him up long-term

Any left-handed hitter posting a near-.400 OBP against southpaws is impressive. But for a 24-year-old whose free-swinging tendencies were a concern down the stretch last season, it's especially remarkable - and it's been a complete game-changer for Crow-Armstrong. Most of his power has come against righties, but other than that, he's been just as good against lefties. Here's how his numbers break out entering July.

• v LHP: .286/.390/.438
• v RHP: .283/.364/.553

Not having to protect him against lefties and letting him be the tone-setter on a daily basis, regardless of who's pitching, is a welcome change for Craig Counsell, who has plenty of other issues to focus on right now. Locking PCA in and letting him do his thing is exactly what the Cubs need to be able to do with their young superstar and - to his credit - a dramatic change in his plate approach has made all the difference.

Crow-Armstrong has more than doubled his walk rate (4.5 percent last year, 10.4 percent in 2026), with only a marginal increase in strikeout rate. This shift in plate discipline and approach has made him more dangerous than ever - and is a big reason why the Cubs are 10 games over .500, despite an endless stream of pitching injuries that could have easily thrown the whole season off the rails.

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