Pete Crow-Armstrong’s struggles are becoming impossible for Cubs to ignore
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s struggles are becoming impossible for Cubs to ignore originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Chicago Cubs are suddenly dealing with something that looked unthinkable just a couple of weeks ago: real turbulence.
After ripping off 10 straight wins earlier this month, Chicago has now dropped nine of its last 11 games, including a sweep at the hands of the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers . Slumps happen over a 162-game season, but what makes this stretch feel different is that some of the Cubs’ most reliable players are now showing cracks. None has stood out more than center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
The 24-year-old entered the season viewed as one of the premier defensive outfielders in baseball after winning a Gold Glove and earning his first All-Star nod in 2025. His range, instincts and confidence in center field helped define Chicago’s identity. That is why the past two games have felt so jarring.
Against Milwaukee on Tuesday, Crow-Armstrong dropped a routine fly ball that immediately put pressure on the Cubs’ pitching staff. One night later, things got even worse when a ground ball slipped under his glove and quickly turned into a damaging Brewers rally. For a player who had committed only five errors across 288 career games in center field entering this stretch, the mistakes looked completely out of character.
MORE : Freddie Freeman just reminded everyone why the Dodgers still revolve around him Pete Crow-Armstrong isn’t hiding from the moment What stood out most after Wednesday’s loss was that Crow-Armstrong did not try to deflect blame or soften the criticism. “Yesterday and today are genuinely laughable,” he said afterward, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. That honesty probably resonates inside the Cubs clubhouse because everyone watching can see the frustration building.