New defensive rankings reveal a hidden factor affecting the Cubs at Wrigley Field

Knowing there's an immovable brick wall at your back, by itself, sticks in the mind of outfielders at Wrigley Field. Nobody wants to be running down a ball only to go face-first into that wall, regardless of whether the ivy is in bloom or not.

Factor in extreme temperatures, a difficult sun - especially in late afternoon scenarios - and swirling winds, and it's easy to see why Wrigley Field was ranked as the second-hardest place to play outfield defense over the last five seasons.

The only place more difficult? Oracle Park in San Francisco, another park players loathe playing the outfield because of weather and wind. Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong quickly grew familiar with the crazy wind patterns at the Friendly Confines - but acknowledged it's not just the wind or the wall that's a factor. Fans themselves - and the environment they create - can impact making plays at Wrigley.

“You have a brick wall behind you,” Crow-Armstrong told MLB.com. “The dimensions aren’t huge. Naturally, a lot of center fielders like myself want to go catch everything. … I don’t think people always take into account the difficulty of communicating in a place that’s always super loud and being in such close quarters with the other outfielders."

That late-afternoon sun is particularly problematic in right-center field; and nobody in baseball has had to battle the sun more than PCA, who brought home the first Gold Glove Award of his career with a defensive campaign for the ages in 2025.

Wrigley's outfield challenges should make a front office priority clear

For the better part of a year, contract extension rumors have swirled around Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs, the former of whom entered camp this year in no hurry to lock something in, despite his stated desire to call Chicago home for the long-haul.

But given the roster turnover coming at season's end - which will see two-thirds of the Cubs' starting outfield hit free agency in Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki - locking down PCA long-term seems more important than ever. Nobody in the game has the defensive prowess the former first-round pick has shown and he can be the centerpiece of what Cubs' president Jed Hoyer often refers to as 'the next great Cubs team'.

Even if you bring in solid defenders to replace Happ, a four-time Gold Glover, and Suzuki, who has had his fair share of issues defensively since coming over from Japan, there's a learning curve. Learning how to play the cutouts in the corner, the impact of the basket that runs foul line to foul line and everything else we've already discussed takes time. Having PCA cemented as the go-to expert when it comes to playing the Wrigley Field outfield would be a huge benefit - both in 2027 and for years to come.