Pete Crow-Armstrong may have just crushed one perfect Wrigley Field All-Star dream

With the 2026 MLB All-Star Game officially in the books, the Chicago Cubs are officially next in line to host the Midsummer Classic and all the festivities that come with it. At this time in 2027, assuming the expected lockout doesn't wipe out the season altogether, the baseball world will descend upon historic Wrigley Field for the first time in 37 years. It's been an overly long wait for the team and fans, but as Rob Manfred announced last August, they're finally getting the honor that Tom Ricketts and the organization have longed for since breaking the 108-year World Series drought.

The last time Wrigley hosted the event in 1990, the defining moment came not in the rain-delayed game itself, but in the Home Run Derby, where the late Ryne Sandberg became the first of just three players ever to win the event in his home ballpark. With the wind blowing in, it was a famously low-scoring swing-off, which the Cubs' Hall of Fame second baseman won with just three long balls total. So much has changed since then, from the upgrades to the ballpark to the transformation of Wrigleyville. They also have a new face of the franchise, too, in All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Alas, the budding Cubs superstar may not follow in Ryno's footsteps. Although PCA is continuing to define himself as one of baseball's main characters, with a .291/.386/.531 slash line with 21 homers and a total of 6.0 fWAR to lead all non-Shohei Ohtani position players, the Home Run Derby is one mountain he's not as interested in climbing. He declined to participate in last year's contest and in this year's in Philadelphia. Even with the All-Star festivities heading to Wrigley, he's still uncertain about taking on that challenge.

Before the Derby on Monday, Crow-Armstrong was quoted in the Chicago Tribune admitting that, while he may hit his fair share of home runs, the event is a different beast altogether.

"I won't probably do it as of right now, I mean, maybe I will, just being at home and everything, but that is a tiring couple of hours, and I don't know if my swing is built for that," he said. "If James Wood's talking about fatigue and all that, then I should probably think long and hard."

In fairness, the derby format has changed since Wood participated in 2025. Gone are the timed rounds, and in their place are less frantic, but still taxing sets of 15-to-20 swings per batter with the possibility for more if they keep hitting the final ball out. It's still something PCA hasn't seemed that enthused about. However, his tone shifted when asked again just before the All-Star Game after giving some thought to the idea. "I was just like, man, I feel like it's more something that I owe to Cubs fans, if they want to see me there," he added on Tuesday.

Pete Crow-Armstrong in the 2027 Home Run Derby would make memories for generations of Cubs fans

Every Home Run Derby has a hometown participant, and there's no better choice than Crow-Armstrong to take up that mantle for the Cubs for obvious reasons. Beyond his face-of-the-franchise status, there's no other obvious candidate to take that spot. The recent derby in Philadelphia showed how electric the atmosphere could be, with both Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper getting cheers aplenty while every other competitor was met with boos. PCA is a Cub that fans love and will want to root for, not to mention someone who might do better than he thinks, given he's on pace for a second consecutive 30+ home-run season.

For what it's worth, he has votes of confidence from a few former Cubs. Cody Bellinger, Willson Contreras, and Schwarber, all of whom have competed, think he has what it takes to do the Home Run Derby. Harper also chimed in with confidence that PCA wouldn't miss the opportunity when the time comes. "He's going to do it, there's no doubt about it," he told the Tribune. He thinks no convincing will be needed, adding, "That's his ballpark. He knows it. So no, I think he's gonna do it no matter what." Hopefully he's right, and the wind is blowing out to make the day extra special.

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