Pete Crow-Armstrong is doing things we’ve never seen before in Major League Baseball, and he’s doing it in the first month of the season. The Chicago Cubs outfielder has become the first player in MLB history to record 5 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and 15 extra-base hits before the end of April. That’s the kind of all-around production that makes you sit up and take notice, especially for a 23-year-old who’s still carving out his place in the big leagues. Crow-Armstrong’s electric start is a sign of what Cubs fans have been hoping for—a breakout star who can do it all on the field.
Crow-Armstrong, drafted by the Cubs in the first round in 2020 out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, has always been touted for his speed and defense. He’s a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder with a knack for tracking down balls in the gap, and his 70-grade speed on the scouting scale has made him a menace on the basepaths since his pro debut. But what’s really turning heads this April is his power. Coming into 2025, Crow-Armstrong had shown flashes of pop—he hit 20 homers across the minors in 2022—but his bat was still a question mark at the MLB level. In 116 games with the Cubs in 2024, he hit just .243 with 10 homers and 23 stolen bases, solid numbers for a rookie but not the kind of output that screams superstar. This year, though, he’s taken a massive leap, blending that elite speed with newfound power to put up a stat line that’s rewriting the record books.
Let’s break down what 5 homers, 10 steals, and 15 extra-base hits in April really means. The home runs show Crow-Armstrong is tapping into his raw power, likely the result of adjustments he made in the offseason after working with hitting coach Dustin Kelly to refine his swing. He’s driving the ball with more authority, especially to the pull side, where he’s turned on fastballs that he might have fouled off last year. The 10 stolen bases highlight his game-changing speed—he’s already swiped bags against some of the best catchers in the league, like J.T. Realmuto and Patrick Bailey, with his quick first step and fearless base-running instincts. And those 15 extra-base hits, which include doubles and triples alongside his homers, prove he’s not just a one-dimensional player. He’s spraying the ball to all fields, using Wrigley’s gaps to his advantage, and turning singles into doubles with that sprinter’s speed.
For the Cubs, this couldn’t come at a better time. After a disappointing 83-79 season in 2024, missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year, Chicago needed a spark. Crow-Armstrong’s emergence as a five-tool threat gives them a cornerstone to build around, especially with veterans like Cody Bellinger and Ian Happ providing stability in the lineup. He’s not just contributing with his bat and legs—his defense in center field remains a game-changer, with highlight-reel catches that have already saved runs in tight games. Imagine a play from April 18 against the Marlins: Jazz Chisholm Jr. rips a liner to the gap in left-center, but Crow-Armstrong covers 85 feet in 4.2 seconds to make a diving grab, robbing a double and keeping the game tied. That’s the kind of impact that doesn’t show up in the box score but wins you ballgames.
What’s next for Crow-Armstrong? If he keeps this up, he’s on pace for a 30-homer, 60-steal season—numbers that would put him in the conversation for MVP down the road. But April is a small sample, and the league will adjust. Pitchers might start attacking him with more off-speed stuff to exploit his aggressive approach, and he’ll need to prove he can handle the inevitable slumps. Still, this historic start shows he’s got the tools to be a star. For Cubs fans, it’s a reason to get excited about the future—Pete Crow-Armstrong isn’t just a prospect anymore; he’s a record-setter who’s putting the league on notice.
