Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong top candidate to win award despite viral defensive blunders

Mar 24, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong against the New York Yankees during spring training at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have gone through a strange first few months of the 2026 season. They went through multiple long winning streaks, but recently dropped 10 games in a row.

But, overall, this Cubs team is still a great one and should be a top postseason contender. And similar to how the Cubs went through a baffling stretch, so too did Pete Crow-Armstrong out in the outfield.

However, despite those multiple viral defensive miscues, PCA is still, as The Athletic's Johnny Flores writes, a top candidate to win the end-of-season Gold Glove award for his incredible defense out in center field.

Pete Crow-Armstrong should still win Gold Glove despite viral mistakes

"Top awards candidate: Pete Crow-Armstrong, NL Gold Glove. By season's end, PCA is unlikely to live down the 'Little League homer' he allowed against the Milwaukee Brewers and David Hamilton," Flores writes.

Despite that miscue, PCA has done more than enough to warrant being a top candidate for the National League Gold Glove award for center fielders.

This season, even with that blunder and the other mistakes he's made recently, Crow-Armstrong is still far-and-away the top defensive player by Outs Above Average according to Baseball Savant.

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He has 12 OAA, which is three more than Ceddanne Rafaela for most in MLB among outfielders. Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young has nine OAA, and he's the biggest threat to the Cubs' star center fielder losing the Gold Glove award this season.

But, simply put, Crow-Armstrong is just too good defensively not to win the Gold Glove award at this rate this season.

While PCA's offensive output might not be as great as it was last year, his defensive mastery hasn't gone anywhere, and he should be considered the front-runner for the 2026 Gold Glove award, which would be the second of his career.

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