Former Mets prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is off to a slow start for the Cubs

Chicago Cubs fans wanted to point and laugh at the New York Mets when big-time prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong was called up. The former first-round pick of the Mets was sent to Chicago in the infamous Javier Baez/Trevor Williams deal in 2021 only for New York to finish the year below .500 and not really come away with anything much more than some memories and a solid 2022 from Williams.

Crow-Armstrong soon became one of the top Cubs prospects and by 2022 he was regarded as one of the most elite in all of baseball. Unfortunately for PCA, his MLB career hasn’t been great.

Former NY Mets prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong has gone hitless in 11 at-bats

Crow-Armstrong is 0 for 11 to start his MLB career with 6 strikeouts. He did draw a pair of walks and has managed to score 3 runs. Two of the runs he did score came in appearances when he entered the game as a pinch runner.

PCA does have one RBI on the ledger, a groundout against two-time former Mets pitcher Chris Flexen plated a run. This came in his first major league start.

The Cubs have been cautious about using him regularly. He has played in only one complete game, the one versus Flexen and the Colorado Rockies. The slow start has pushed him into more of a defensive replacement/pinch runner role and delayed him from getting that first hit; one he won’t have to worry about Pete Alonso tossing into the stands.

PCA isn’t the only former Mets prospect who became a top 100 guy to debut recently. Endy Rodriguez of the Pittsburgh Pirates already has 53 games under his belt. While he does have a hit, he’s slashing just .211/.273/.327 for the Bucs. 

Before Mets fans schedule a victory lap, it’s early for both of these young players. We know better than to start calling them busts or declare either trade a win for New York.

Still, it serves as a reminder of how uncertain prospects are. Remember when fans were outraged by the team trading Anthony Kay for Marcus Stroman in 2019? Kay is back with the Mets having made his debut with them on Sunday. He’s only here because the Cubs didn’t want him anymore.