Pete Crow-Armstrong made history with his latest Cubs' defensive masterpiece

Pete Crow-Armstrong just took a huge step forward in his path to superstardom. Before he even made his big league debut, everyone knew that Crow-Armstrong was a defensive wizard in center field, and he backed that hype up when he took home a Gold Glove in his first full season in the majors. But Crow-Armstrong crossed into a different realm with the glove earlier this week, when he became the all-time leader in 5-star catches.

An outfielder is awarded a 5-star catch when they nab a fly ball with a catch probability between 0-25 percent. He made another dazzling defensive play against the Detroit Tigers on Monday, when he made a diving catch to rob former Cub Zach McKinstry of a hit. With the catch, Crow-Armstrong now has 33 five-star catches in his career, more than any outfielder since Statcast began tracking these plays in 2016.

Monday's catch broke a tie with former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, who collected 32 5-star catches over nine seasons. At age 24, Crow-Armstrong surpassed him after just under two-and-a-half seasons. Even more remarkable is the fact that Crow-Armstrong needed just 62 opportunities to become the all-time leader, while no one else in the top ten has fewer than 100 opportunities.

Pete Crow-Armstrong is quickly becoming a new Cubs superstar

If Crow-Armstrong stays on this path, he could go down as one of the best defensive outfielders in history. His career is just getting started, and he's virtually a shoo-in for his second straight Gold Glove, with presumably many more on the way.

Meanwhile, the young outfielder is taking major strides with the bat. It's clear that Crow-Armstrong is making plate discipline a priority this year, as his walk-rate has jumped significantly in 2026.

With Shohei Ohtani shut down from pitching, Crow-Armstrong is in a position to become the favorite to win the National League MVP award. The former first-round pick has already surpassed his fWAR mark from 2025, amassing 6.3 fWAR through his first 101 games in 2026, which leads all MLB position players. He's on pace to

After having some serious ups and downs in 2025, it looks like Crow-Armstrong is silencing the haters and living up to his contract extension. An extension that is shaping up to be a worthy investment by Cubs President Jed Hoyer, and well worth the $115 million price tag.

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