Pete Crow-Armstrong's plate discipline powers second All-Star nod
Pete Crow-Armstrong earned his second straight National League All-Star selection after a renewed, pitch-hunting approach in the batter's box fueled a historic June. Working from advice by Alex Bregman and Craig Counsell's swing-mode framework, he cut chase rates, drew more walks, and slashed .381/.468/.781 with 11 homers — making him Chicago's sole 2026 All-Star. The 24-year-old will represent the Cubs on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Key Takeaways
- Crow-Armstrong made the NL All-Star team for the second consecutive season as a reserve outfielder.
- A late-May reset on plate discipline — hunting one pitch zone per at-bat — sparked an all-time June.
- He is the Cubs' only All-Star despite a payroll near $230 million and several highly paid veterans.
- His June line included 11 homers, 17 walks, 40 hits, and eight steals in 26 games.
- Manager Craig Counsell called him an "entertainer" wired to be one of baseball's visible stars.
Why did Pete Crow-Armstrong make the All-Star team again?
Major League Baseball announced the 2026 rosters on Saturday evening, and Crow-Armstrong was again among the National League outfield reserves. Last year he reached Philadelphia as a fan-elected starter; this year's nod came from players, managers, and coaches — a distinction he said carried extra weight.
"Nice to get the nod from the baseball world," he told reporters after a fog-shrouded loss to the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. He added that earning respect from peers matters as much as fan votes, because "the best compliment you can get as a baseball player is someone in the other uniform's respect."
What changed about his approach in the batter's box?
According to MLB.com, the breakthrough started with a simple challenge from Bregman: hunt a specific pitch or zone each at-bat and do not waver — even if a strike drops in without a swing. Bregman framed it as a game Crow-Armstrong embraced in late May, alongside minor stance tweaks.
Plate-discipline metrics shifted quickly. Chase rate fell from 45.8% in March/April to 30.7% in May, while walk rate climbed and swing rate dropped nearly ten percentage points. Counsell noted Crow-Armstrong remains in "swing mode," but with stubborn adherence to each plan — a pattern similar to how disciplined investors size positions in fintech and crypto alerts rather than chasing every move.
How historic was Crow-Armstrong's June at the plate?
When June closed, the 24-year-old owned a .381/.468/.781 slash with 11 homers, five doubles, two triples, 20 RBIs, 21 runs, 40 hits, 82 total bases, 17 walks, and eight stolen bases in 26 games. MLB.com notes he is only the second player since 1920 with at least eight steals, 11 homers, 17 walks, and 40 hits in one month — joining Barry Bonds, who needed 31 games in 1992.
He also delivered the Cubs' first reverse cycle on June 15 against Colorado, homering first before completing the triple, double, and single. The stretch earned him National League Player of the Month honors and left his All-Star berth looking inevitable.
Why is he the Cubs' only All-Star this year?
Despite a payroll approaching $230 million, no Cubs teammate joined Crow-Armstrong on the roster. Bleed Cubbie Blue and The New York Times noted that highly paid infielders Alex Bregman, Nico Hoerner, and Dansby Swanson lacked strong cases, while Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ produced solid lines but not All-Star levels.
Crow-Armstrong's 5.1 wins above replacement led NL position players per Baseball Reference, cementing his status as the franchise centerpiece. He wished more teammates could share the moment — last year's squad also sent Matthew Boyd and Kyle Tucker — but embraced his role as Chicago's lone ambassador in Philadelphia.