Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is taking the league by storm this year. He is currently tied for third in fWAR at 2.1 with just Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge above him, is fourth in stolen bases with 12, has an impressive .550 slugging percentage thanks to 19 extra base hits, and defensively Baseball Savant has him ranked in the 89th percentile or higher in range, arm value, and arm strength.
It’s clear that the well rounded 23 year old is playing some of the best baseball of his life right now. Interestingly, at the plate, he is doing this from the comfort of the seven-hole as he has started all but three games in that spot in the lineup. After the Cubs put up 10 runs over the Milwaukee Brewers, Crow-Armstrong spoke on that and admitted to being very confident batting seventh.
Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong finding comfort and success in the 7-hole
Crow-Armstrong may not be hitting at the top of the Cubs’ lineup, but he’s making a top-tier impact on a team that leads the league in scoring and also ranks first in stolen bases. Chicago currently holds a 22 run lead over the next best offensive team in baseball. Crow-Armstrong’s 25 runs scored is fifth best in the league and his 12 stolen bases is the third most in the National League.
So how is Crow-Armstrong managing to make such a major impact from the bottom of the order? According to the 23-year-old, the depth of the Cubs’ lineup allows him to “fly under the radar”, a dynamic that’s helping him thrive. Speaking to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, Crow-Armstrong said, “It’s so easy to hit in this lineup. I just feel so confident going up to the plate in the seven-hole. You talk about flying under the radar, I feel like I can hide in there, in a way, because it’s so easy to want to go have a good at-bat when you’ve got eight other guys that can really do it behind you and in front of you.”
With veterans Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner often positioned around Crow-Armstrong, and the Cubs’ formidable top of the lineup, featuring Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, and Michael Busch, it’s clear why Crow-Armstrong feels so confident in the seven-hole. There’s essentially no reprieve for the opposition, as the lineup boasts a well-balanced mix of power, contact, and speed from top to bottom. All of this adds a lot of pressure on opposing pitchers.
As the Cubs continue to surge offensively, Crow-Armstrong is proving to be one of the most valuable and dynamic players in the lineup. His ability to thrive in the seven-hole, surrounded by a deep and potent order, has been a key factor in the team’s offensive explosion.
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