Pete Crow-Armstrong could make Cubs forget about center fielders of yesteryear

Last season after being recalled from the minors, Pete Crow-Armstrong took control of the duties in center field for the Chicago Cubs -- a role that will be bestowed upon him in 2025. His growth as an everyday MLB player and providing stability at the position will be important as centerfield, like third base, has been a revolving door the past few years. Centerfield (also like third base) is a premier position in baseball as that is where the "captains" of the outfield play and stability goes a long way.

There are a few fascinating stats regarding the volume of guys who have played center for the Cubs since Dexter Fowler. There has not been a single Cub to eclipse 1,000 innings at center in a season since Fowler in 2016. Only Crow-Armstrong in 2024 (965.2 IP) and Albert Almora Jr. in 2018 (918.1 IP) have come close to that mark. Otherwise, it has been a bit of a mishmash.

Since the start of the 2017 season, there have been 25 different guys to play at least one inning in center field. Almora Jr. has the most accumulative innings in center with 2,612.1 followed by Ian Happ (1,626), Cody Bellinger (1,089.2), Jason Heyward (1,029), Crow-Armstrong (1,018), Rafael Ortega (944.1), Mike Tauchman (647) and Christopher Morel (538).

Other players to man centerfield over that span include Kris Bryant, Jon Jay, Joc Pederson, Nelson Velazquez, Billy Hamilton, Alexander Canario, Trayce Thompson, Nico Hoerner, Patrick Wisdom, Michael Hermosillo, Jake Marisnick, Cameron Maybin, Tony Kemp, Leonys Martin, Matt Szczur, Narciso Crook and Johneshwy Fargas (credit to you if you remember that one).

Pete Crow-Armstrong could end Chicago Cubs' revolving door in center field.

Obviously over a span, a team will have an accumulation of guys who played at least one inning in center having bench/utility guys play and injuries. What sticks out is not having had a solidified guy outside a stretch with Almora over the past eight seasons before Crow-Armstrong took over. The post-2021 tear-down days saw little consistency over the next year or so. Morel was the innings leader in center in 2022 with just 458, with eight total players having played that position that year.

If Crow-Armstrong is healthy and playing to his potential, he should eclipse that 1,000-inning mark in center field. He came close last year and was not up with the MLB club the entire way. What would be even cooler is if Crow-Armstrong is so good he becomes the first Cubs center fielder since Fowler in 2016 to be named an All-Star. Even if not All-Star level, his health and his hitting, at least respectable, will make him a very valuable asset with his speed and defense -- which has the potential to be better than any Cubs centerfielder ever.