Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong is 'overhyped' for concerning 49.3% reason

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Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong is 'overhyped' for concerning 49.3% reason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Chicago Cubs made the bold decision to extend Pete Crow-Armstrong to a massive $115 million extension following the World Baseball Classic.

It was a big investment, with the hopes that he could follow up his 31-home-run and 35 stolen base 2025 season with another strong season in 2026. However, things are not off to a good start with a .568 OPS and 67 OPS+ on the year through 19 games.

Amid such a start to the year, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter named Crow-Armstrong as one of the most "overhyped" stars in MLB. He pointed to two statistics as reasons why, including a very concerning 49.3% figure that could spell trouble for PCA.

Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong called 'overhyped' for multiple reasons​

"His 31-homer, 35-steal stat line last year helped mask an ugly .287 on-base percentage and a middling 4.5 walk rate," Reuter writes. "That extremely aggressive approach is being exploited this year, as his 49.3 percent chase rate is among the worst in baseball and he has a .202 expected batting average."

While there were some worries last season about his long-term success with a .287 on-base percentage, the two figures this season that are cause for concern are his chase rate and expected batting average.

If Crow-Armstrong is expected to hit just .202 on the year, then he's going to be in store for a rough 2026 season. Add in his 49.3% chase rate, which is one of the worst marks in baseball, and it's not a surprise he's struggling this season.

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After making the All-Star team last year and finishing inside the top-10 for MVP voting, it wasn't a surprise that many were hoping Crow-Armstrong would put together another great season.

It's still very early, as the Cubs have played just 19 games so far this season. But Crow-Armstrong hasn't lived up to expectations this season at all.

He still has 0.6 bWAR on the year, which would put him on pace for a roughly 5.0 bWAR season, which wouldn't be bad at all. But, considering the potential, he's leaving a lot on the table this season so far.

Just because Reuter is calling Crow-Armstrong "overhyped" doesn't mean he's not a productive player for the Cubs. He's a phenomenal defender and still great on the base-paths. He just needs to hit better, and he could shed this label.

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