Star Defender Named Best Chicago Cubs Player Under 25 Years Old

Who is the best player for the Chicago Cubs under 25 years old?

Sep 20, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (52) makes a catch on Washington Nationals catcher Drew Millas (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. / David Banks-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs might have fallen short of their goals once again in 2024, but the franchise is quite young and the future appears bright. 

While the Cubs might have wanted to truly contend for a playoff spot this year, the franchise might have been just a tad too young and inconsistent to be ready to compete in what was a really tough National League. 

Fortunately, the future looks bright for Chicago, as there are a lot of things to like about the franchise heading into 2025 and beyond. With a strong starting rotation and a balanced lineup, the Cubs will likely focus on keeping with their youth movement and perhaps make a few moves to improve their bullpen. 

One of the young players who had a positive impact for Chicago in 2024 was outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Recently, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report spoke about the best player for each team under 25 years old. For the Cubs, it was their talented centerfielder. 

“It took Pete Crow-Armstrong some time to find his footing offensively, but he offered enough value with his defense and speed that the Chicago Cubs gave him a long runway to figure things out, and he looked like a rising star down the stretch. From Aug. 1 through the end of the season, Crow-Armstrong hit .284/.337/.466 with 16 extra-base hits and seven steals in 176 plate appearances. His defensive metrics in center field (12 DRS, 7.7 UZR/150) were elite, and he ranked in the 99th percentile in sprint speed.”

Even though it took the 22-year-old some time to get things figured out at the plate, the talented prospect ended up having a really strong rookie campaign for Chicago. 

Overall, Crow-Armstrong totaled a .237 batting average, 10 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases in his rookie season. 

Even though it might not have been the best move for their offense, the Cubs let the 22-year-old figure things out at the plate in the Majors, despite hitting under .200 in both June and July. However, it paid off in August, as he had arguably his best month of the season, hitting .314, and followed it up with a good September of batting .256. 

What was also impressive about Crow-Armstrong in the second half was his ability to hit the ball with some power, as he totaled seven of his 10 home runs in the last two months of the season. 

As an already elite and gold glove caliber defender, if the youngster can hit like he did in the second half, he is going to have an excellent career.