As the crisp autumn air settles over Wrigley Field, anticipation reaches fever pitch for Chicago Cubs fans everywhere. On September 30, 2025, the Cubs open their National League Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres, and all eyes are on one man: Pete Crow-Armstrong. The 23-year-old center fielder has become the face of a resurgent Cubs squad, and his journey to this moment is as compelling as any story in baseball this season.
Crow-Armstrong’s 2025 campaign has been nothing short of electrifying. Batting .247 with 37 doubles, four triples, 31 home runs, and 29 walks, he’s cemented himself among the league’s elite. His 31 home runs rank 21st among all MLB hitters, while his RBI tally places him 20th—a testament to his consistency and power at the plate. But it’s not just the numbers; it’s the way he’s done it, with highlight-reel catches in center field and a relentless energy that’s captivated the North Side faithful.
“A big reason why the Cubs are in the playoffs this year is the emergence of their young superstar, Pete Crow-Armstrong,” wrote TWSN, echoing the sentiment of fans and analysts alike. Crow-Armstrong, or PCA as he’s affectionately known, became the first Cub since Sammy Sosa to join the storied 30/30 club—30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season. That’s rarefied air, and it’s only added to the buzz swirling around Wrigley as postseason play begins.
Yet, like any baseball season, Crow-Armstrong’s path has been anything but smooth. The first half of 2025 saw PCA in MVP form, dazzling with his bat and glove, and sparking talk of a possible National League Most Valuable Player award. But the dog days of summer brought adversity. His bat cooled, and questions arose: Could the young phenom carry his team under the bright lights of October?
“While Crow-Armstrong had an MVP-like first half of the season, where many thought that he would go on and be the NL MVP this season, his second half of the season told a totally different story,” TWSN observed. The Cubs, though, managed to stay afloat, and as the regular season wound down, Crow-Armstrong found his groove once again—regaining the spark that made him a household name in Chicago.
Heading into the Wild Card showdown, Crow-Armstrong is riding a four-game hitting streak. Over his last five games, he’s hitting .294 with two home runs and five RBIs. He’s had a hit in 60.9% of his 156 games this year, and he’s gone deep in 26 of those contests. The numbers suggest a player heating up at just the right time—a dangerous sign for the visiting Padres.
The matchup itself promises fireworks. The Cubs send Crow-Armstrong and company up against Padres starter Nick Pivetta, who’s quietly pieced together a stellar season of his own. Pivetta enters his 32nd start with a 13-5 record, a sparkling 2.87 ERA, and 190 strikeouts in 181 2/3 innings. Among qualifying pitchers, he ranks ninth in ERA, fifth in WHIP (.985), and 16th in strikeouts per nine innings. In short, he’s no easy puzzle to solve.
Crow-Armstrong, however, has had some success against Pivetta. In their career matchups, PCA is 1-for-3, and earlier this season, he’s managed to get on base and even take Pivetta deep. For a player who’s shown a knack for the dramatic, could this be another moment for the highlight reel?
Behind the numbers and the hype, there’s a personal side to Crow-Armstrong’s journey. In a heartfelt piece for The Players’ Tribune, PCA opened up about the mental and emotional roller coaster of his breakout season. “I know you’re reading this like, Pete, quit talkin’, bro, and start hitting. I hear you. I’m thinking the same thing. But I’ve also been thinking about being a kid again,” he wrote, reflecting on the pressure of expectations and the challenge of maintaining joy in the game.
He credited conversations with his mother and teammate Nico Hoerner for helping him navigate the highs and lows. “She always reminds me I’m just 23. And I’m like, But mom, I’m a mature 23. And she goes, Still 23, Pete. You don’t need to have all the answers right now. I know she’s right, even if I don’t want to hear it all the time,” Crow-Armstrong shared. He continued, “I’ve lost some of that in the second half of this year. And I think it’s sort of like a chicken-or-egg thing. Am I not having fun because I’m not hitting, or am I not hitting because I’m not having fun?”
That level of self-awareness, especially for a player so young, has endeared him to fans and teammates alike. “He’s the most methodical, hardest working guy I’ve ever been around,” Crow-Armstrong said of Hoerner. “He steps into the box with this fierceness about him. I think we both have that. I love this game more than anything. I want to be great more than anything. I mean that s*. But I think what Nico has, that I don’t yet, is the ability to ride the lows, to stay cool and calm, and trust the work, even when it’s not paying off.”
Such candid reflections offer a window into the challenges faced by young stars in today’s game. The pressure to perform, the glare of the postseason spotlight, and the weight of a city’s hopes—it’s a lot for anyone, let alone someone experiencing playoff baseball for the first time. As the Cubs embark on their postseason quest, the question looms: Will Crow-Armstrong rise to the occasion, or will the pressure prove too much?
He won’t have to do it alone. The Cubs boast a talented supporting cast, including Michael Busch, Kyle Tucker, and Dansby Swanson. With their help, and the lessons learned from a season of ups and downs, Crow-Armstrong is poised to make a statement. The postseason is filled with examples of stars who have either faltered or flourished under pressure. For PCA, the stage is set to show which camp he belongs in.
The action gets underway at 3:08 p.m. ET, with coverage on ABC and streaming on Fubo. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the energy around Wrigley Field is electric. As Crow-Armstrong himself put it, “I love this game more than anything. I want to be great more than anything.” Tonight, he’ll get his chance to prove it on baseball’s biggest stage.
With the first pitch just moments away, Cubs fans are holding their breath. Will this be the beginning of another magical October run? One thing’s certain: with Pete Crow-Armstrong leading the charge, anything feels possible in Chicago.
