Cubs should still see Pete Crow-Armstrong growth hiding beneath sudden slump

Doubters of what Pete Crow-Armstrong has done this season have pointed to his second-half struggles as a reason to case doubt on the legitimacy of his success this season. Anyone who follows the Chicago Cubs know that take lacked awareness of just how drastically Crow-Armstrong has shifted his approach, that said, he has found himself in a little bit of a slump.

Over the last six games, Crow-Armstrong is slashing .154/.290/.346. He's also striking out nearly 39% of the time over that stretch. It's certainly fair to saw that Crow-Armstrong is in a little bit of a funk, but even with his sudden struggles, there's a reminder of just how different the N ational League MVP favorite looks this season.

The slump is across his last 31 plate appearances, and even with the uptick in strikeouts, Crow-Armstrong is still drawing walks. He's walked five times during this slump, equating to 16.1% of this plate appearances. For the season, Crow-Armstrong is walking 12% of the time.

It's also worth mentioning that before these last six games, Crow-Armstrong was slashing .282/.387/.641 with a wRC+ of 171 since the All-Star break. As great as those numbers were, there clearly was going to be some regression.

Even while slumping, Pete Crow-Armstrong has shown his growth with the Cubs

For right now, there's no need to look too far into Crow-Armstrong's recent struggles. He is still drawing walks, and extending his at-bats. If this was a matter of Crow-Armstrong looking overwhelmed, as was the case during the final two months of the 2025 season, it would be a different story.

If anything, it's a reminder that the regular season is wrong and filled with many ups and downs. It's why, over the past week, Crow-Armstrong has served as the Cubs' designated hitter twice. Adding even more context to why the Cubs added Tyrone Taylor last week. Sure, Taylor is an extra right-handed bat off the bench, but he is also a viable option in center field that allows Crow-Armstrong to have some time off his feet.

If the Cubs are going to catch the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central, they will need Crow-Armstrong to be at the center of their success. There's no dount that the pitching staff has been upgraded after the trade deadline, but Crow-Armstrong being a superstar and playing at a MVP level could be the difference.

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Even while slumping, Pete Crow-Armstrong has shown his growth with the Cubs

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