Deep & Wide: Pete Crow-Armstrong’s New Stance Driving Results

Getting off to a slow start caused a lot of observers to pump the brakes on the Pete Crow-Armstrong hype, but we’ve got enough of a sample now to start laying down more definite statements about how good he is. I’m not just talking about the last few games here. Since July 3 of last season, a span of 379 plate appearances, PCA is slashing .273/.321/.477 with a 121 wRC+, 14 homers, and a 4.3 fWAR mark that is eighth in all of MLB. A little less than a third of that comes from this season, where his line is .295/.339/.543 with a 145 wRC+, five homers, and a 2.0 fWAR mark that ties him for second in MLB.

One of the first things that stood out to me about this dynamic superstar in the making was his kinesthetic awareness, or body control. Pairing an incredibly high motor with elite speed and athleticism is one thing, but Crow-Armstrong worked diligently to improve his proprioceptive ability starting in high school. That is what allows him to glide effortlessly across great distances to make difficult catches look routine, but it has also helped him to adjust in the box.

Everyone knew the glove would play, that’s never been in question. PCA’s floor is high as a result, and his ceiling will be determined by what he does with the bat. Based on what we’ve seen from him so far, hyperbole may start sounding mundane. Currently third in MLB with 1.9 fWAR, Crow-Armstrong could easily surpass 20-25 homers and 50 stolen bases in his first full season.

That’s not a fluke, it’s the product of diligent work and pointed instruction. His swing is still a work in progress, though we can hope not to the extent that Jason Heyward‘s was throughout his first several years in the league, but it appears to be following a blueprint rather than looking like a DIY project. Former Cub Mark DeRosa gushed about PCA’s potential during a recent segment on MLB Network, providing an excellent breakdown of multiple adjustments.

“Then he made a massive overhaul change in August of last year,” DeRosa explained. “Got way wider, started to incorporate a leg kick [which he has now toned down to more of a toe tap], and now he’s standing pretty wide open. So he’s gone from closed to a little more wide-open…

“If he could clean up his swing decisions and start shooting the ball the other way, he has it in him…he is going to be one of the better players in the entire sport.”

“He’s Kevin Kiermaier on D and, since last August, he’s Jackson Merrill on offense.”

DeRo LOVES what he sees from Pete Crow-Armstrong ? pic.twitter.com/tg6uZEehte

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 23, 2025

As noted in the video above, Crow-Armstrong has shifted to the very back of the batters box and is now standing nearly three inches deeper than last season. He’s more than 11 inches deeper than he was during his brief debut in 2023, which tracks because he looked overmatched. That was a function of being late and probably overthinking things, so moving back allows him just a few more fractions of a second to react.

He’s also got a much wider stance, with his feet going from 18.3 inches apart in ’23 to 28.2 inches last season, and now 35.1 inches. You can see that he keeps his weight in his back leg, allowing him to lift and coil with that reduced kick to bring his center of gravity forward. As you can see from the image above, PCA is also presetting his hands deeper to get him loaded quicker and get his swing on plane earlier.

That’s how he’s able to drive the ball and create better batted-ball results despite intercepting the ball deeper than in the past. Whether by design or due to being jumpy, Crow-Armstrong used to catch the ball way out in front of the plate. He was at 7.4 inches when he first came up and trimmed that to 4.1 inches, but the MLB average is only 2.9 inches. So far this season, his average contact point is just 0.5 inches in front of the plate.

Much of that comes from shifting back in the box, but he’s also able to let the ball travel just a whisker farther because his hands are ready and his bat speed has increased (to 71.8 from 70.6). Just that subtle jump of 1.2 mph over last season has been enough to increase his average exit velocity by 0.6 mph while getting his max EV up to 108.6 after it was 107.2 last year. It’s also interesting to note how the distribution of his swing speeds has broadened out, though it’s still very early to draw much from that.

PCA has increased his bat speed and his fast swing rate while also catching barrels with greater frequency, which is a very strong combination. The missing piece, as DeRosa noted, is that 37.9% chase rate that puts the young Cub in the seventh percentile among his peers. That’s already much better than his second-percentile 41.4% rate last season, and both his whiffs and strikeouts have improved as well.

There’s no reason to believe Crow-Armstrong can’t continue to make the necessary adjustments to shore up his weakness at the same time he builds up his strengths. Dude just turned 23, so he should have his best seasons ahead of him. That’s a scary thought for opposing pitchers.