The Chicago Cubs are putting some trust into a few youngsters heading into 2025 as currently constructed.
With a farm system that's been regarded as one of the best in baseball over the past few years, that isn't the worst idea, but it's something the Cubs have to recognize could be an issue.
Young players almost always have growing pains, and even if things go as well as they can, there will be struggles here and there.
This will be the second season of Pete Crow-Armstrong getting a real chance to prove what he has. Armstrong made his debut in 2023 but appeared in just 13 games.
In 2024, he played in 123 contests, slashing .237/.286/.384 with an 88 OPS+, 10 home runs, 13 doubles, six triples, and 27 stolen bases. Despite the offensive struggles at times, he was still a 2.3 WAR player due to his elite defensive and base running abilities.
A 22-year-old struggling offensively isn't the most surprising thing, nor should Crow-Armstrong feel like he had a bad showing. If anything, this is the player Chicago should've expected to get during his first stint at the highest level.
With a campaign under his belt, expectations for the youngster will be higher than ever. He was viewed as a top prospect, and the hope was for him to eventually be a star.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report believes that could be coming as early as this season, naming him a "potential breakout star" for 2025.
"Crow-Armstrong is going to be a ton of fun to watch even if his offensive output never improves. He might already be the best defensive center fielder in baseball, and to simply call him "fast" would be like calling prime Arnold Schwarzenegger "strong." As for said offensive output, PCA did finish last year strong with a .816 OPS over his last 51 games. More of that plus his defense and baserunning could make him an All-Star in 2025, not to mention a god of WAR."
An improved offensive game, as Rymer mentioned, would make the Cubs a much better ball club and Crow-Armstrong one of the top young players and outfielders in the game.
There's always value in having a guy in center who can go and get it like Crow-Armstrong. At worst, he's the player he was a year ago.
If the bat comes with the other tools, Chicago could be looking at a 5.0-plus WAR player, something the team could desperately use.
