Pete Crow-Armstrong keeps stacking up milestones, and the latest one lands him in some pretty serious Cubs company.
Against the Atlanta Braves earlier this week, Crow-Armstrong launched his 42nd home run of the season. That gave him a tie with Billy Williams for the franchise record for home runs by a left-handed hitter in the regular season, and Crow-Armstrong thinks that mark is on borrowed time. After Monday’s game, he also became the first Cubs player since Javy Baez in 2018 to reach 100 runs scored and 100 RBI in a season.
That kind of production is why Crow-Armstrong is not just strengthening his case as the presumptive National League MVP, but also making a run at the best season any Cubs player has ever put together.
There’s also a broader conversation around what kind of offensive profile he’s building. Kyle Schwarber has set the standard for left-handed power since leaving Chicago after the 2020 season, but Crow-Armstrong’s game is shaping up differently. He may not live in the 40-homer neighborhood every year the way Schwarber often does, but if he settles into the 20-to-35 range while bringing elite defense and speed, the Cubs would have something rare on their hands.
The Cubs also have a group of prospects headed to the Arizona Fall League, with Myles Bailey among them after an injury kept him from making his pro debut this summer. Bailey was drafted by the Cubs in July, and his selection drew attention because he was widely viewed as the best college power bat in the draft, even with plenty of swing-and-miss in his profile.
The rest of Chicago’s AFL group includes Juan Cabada, Kade Anell, Dominick Reid, Yoendris Gonzalez, Miguel Useche, Jake Knapp, Anhuar García and Jhon Cabral. Bailey has been working out at the team’s spring training complex in Arizona and has been able to take part in batting practice despite being on the injured list.
Then there’s Alex Bregman, who looked like a strange fit for much of the season before turning himself into one of the best offseason additions in the sport. Jon Heyman recently listed Bregman’s deal with the Cubs among the best moves of the offseason during an MLB Network appearance.
That call makes a lot more sense now than it would have a few months ago. Entering play Tuesday night, Bregman was hitting .262/.352/.448 with a 123 wRC+ and 25 home runs. It’s not the exact road the Cubs expected when they signed him last January, but it has led to the kind of impact they had in mind - the one they described at his introductory press conference and the one Jed Hoyer has long been chasing.
In Other News...
Jacob Webb Has Become A Cubs Bullpen Problem Craig Counsell Can't Ignore
Jacob Webbs recent stretch has turned into a real concern for Craig Counsell at a time when the Cubs can least afford another bullpen leak. The right-hander has been tagged for multiple home runs in recent appearances and has stumbled in the kinds of high-leverage spots that tend to define a relievers standing late in the year. His last clean inning came on Aug. 7, a marker that has only underscored how quickly the margin for error has disappeared.
The bigger issue is that Webb is not operating in a vacuum. Chicagos bullpen has been unreliable for weeks, with leads slipping away in several games since Aug. 21, and the staff as a whole has had trouble keeping the ball in the yard. The Cubs have allowed the most home runs in the majors this season, so every shaky inning puts added pressure on a group already trying to stabilize itself before the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Jameson Taillons Latest Elbow Setback Just Raised A Bigger Question
Jameson Taillons elbow issue has turned into more than a routine late-season ailment, and for Cubs observers it serves as another reminder of how quickly a pitchers outlook can change. Taillon was placed on the injured list because of elbow inflammation, and after a season that already included a trade from Chicago to Toronto, the right-hander now finds himself dealing with another medical checkpoint as he weighs what comes next.
Taillon is scheduled to seek another opinion from Dr. Keith Meister, a step that usually signals a situation worth watching closely. For the Cubs, it closes the book on a frustrating chapter for a pitcher who never quite found steady footing amid the injuries and the homer-prone stretches that defined his time here, even before the latest setback raised the question of how long his career arc will remain unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Suddenly Have A Bullpen Problem At The Worst Time
The Cubs had been in control against the Braves after building a 3-0 lead, but the game flipped once the bullpen took over and Chicago ended up on the wrong side of a 6-3 loss. Jacob Webb had the roughest outing of the bunch, giving up the go-ahead two-run home run, and Edward Cabreras first appearance out of the bullpen also turned costly when he allowed two insurance runs.
What makes the setback sting is the timing. Chicago still sits atop the NL Wild Card standings with 10 games left in the regular season, but a late-inning wobble like this is the kind of thing that can linger if it shows up again in October. For a club that has spent much of the year leaning on its relief group to finish games, the final stretch just got a little more complicated. [Read more 🡒]