5 Cubs candidates for RoY in ‘24 - 1. Pete Crow-Armstrong
Although we saw Pete Crow-Armstrong debut last season, we went hitless in 14 at-bats. Former manager David Ross didn't do him any favors by not giving him consistent playing time to get into a rhythm, but it was still quite clear that he was overmatched at the plate. All that figures to change in time, as Crow-Armstrong has excelled at every level once he's moved up and had time to adjust properly.
Given how much defensive WAR Crow-Armstrong can bring to the table alone, his ceiling is sky-high if he gets the bat going. Crow-Armstrong is the #12 prospect in all of baseball, and you don't get there by pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. Once he gets it going in the MLB, it will be hard to slow him down.
It's hard to envision him not being in the top 5-10 of rookies once he handles the bat better with the Cubs. His defensive floor is so high that once he starts swinging it, there's a chance he can be one of the best players in baseball.