Pete Crow-Armstrong's highlight reel continues to leave Cubs fans speechless

Well folks, it happened again.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has already established himself as an MVP candidate in the National League, building on his success with heroic moment after heroic moment. Yesterday was no different, as Crow-Armstrong continues to find ways to etch his name into the record books in what has the potential to be a historic sophomore campaign.

Crow-Armstrong stole two bases in Monday’s 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies, bringing his total to 16 on the season. He became the first player since 2002 to have 14 home runs and 16 stolen bases through the first 55 games of the season.

Who accomplished the feat last? That would be none other than Cubs icon Alfonso Soriano, who accomplished the feat with the New York Yankees in 2002, finishing the season just one home run shy of joining the 40/40 club with 39 home runs and 41 stolen bases. Soriano would later join the club officially in 2006, becoming only the fourth player to do so at that point.

Crow-Armstrong led off the fourth inning with his team holding a narrow 1-0 lead. On a 0-1 count, he dug way under the zone with a swing that would do wonders on the PGA Tour, mashing the ball 379 feet into right field to extend the lead with a solo shot.

Major League Baseball began pitch tracking in 2008. Since then, Pablo Sandoval leads all batters with five home runs on pitches 1.1 feet above the ground or lower. Crow-Armstrong has three this season alone. 

His three blasts put him in a tie for second in the league since 2008, tying him with four other players, including Rafael Devers, Anthony Santander, and former Cubs catcher Yan Gomes.

The fourth player, to the surprise of no one, is none other than Javier Baez.

This serves as the latest connection Crow-Armstrong has with “El Mago”, whose trade in 2021 netted Crow-Armstrong for the Cubs in the first place. Crow-Armstrong has served as the heir apparent for Baez, displaying a flair both at the plate and on the field not seen since the days when Baez graced Wrigley Field with an endless display of highlight reels of his own.

In his time with the Cubs, Baez was the NLCS Co-MVP alongside Jon Lester in 2016, while also hitting a home run in the historic World Series game seven. Baez also finished second in MVP voting in the National League in 2018, finishing only behind Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich. 

At this point in his career, the sky is the limit for Crow-Armstrong. Like Baez, Crow-Armstrong is well on his way towards establishing himself as a legendary player for the Chicago Cubs. In the meantime, Cubs fans can continue to enjoy his historic season as it plays out, as there’s no telling how many more records will fall in the process.