Pete Crow-Armstrong's offense is a concerning problem for Cubs

So far in 2026, the Chicago Cubs are a solid 12-9, but in a very tight NL Central, they find themselves tied for last place in the division with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The margin of error in the central this season looks to be very small so far. With things so tight in the NL Central, every mistake or issue becomes all the more important.

And for Pete Crow-Armstrong, the offensive regression this season is a very concerning problem. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report highlighted why the concern for PCA isn't an overreaction, as the Cubs outfielder isn't off to the start the team was hoping for at all.

Cubs' concern for Pete Crow-Armstrong isn't an overreaction

"It's a particularly concerning start for Crow-Armstrong when you consider that after he started in the All-Star Game last summer, he hit just .216 with a .634 OPS in the second half of the season."

The struggles from mid-July on in 2025 have returned in 2026. His offense has become a major issue for the Cubs and is something to be worried about this season.

If it weren't for his stellar defense in the outfield, the $115 million outfielder would be someone the team would have a lot greater concerns over.

Crow-Armstrong is hitting .222 this season with just one homer and a .585 OPS. Last season, he had a .768 OPS and 119 OPS+. He's down to a 72 OPS+ this year.

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Another concerning part of his game that hopefully will get better is his base-stealing ability. He's stolen four bases this year, but he's been caught three times, the most in MLB so far.

While it might be an overreaction to be so worried about Crow-Armstrong's offense as both a hitter and base-runner, Kelly is not diminishing the concerns at all.

As Kelly writes, "Still, the Cubs have to worry that Crow-Armstrong isn't going to ever sniff the offensive output that he posted during the first half of the 2025 season."

If he can't return to that first-half of 2025 greatness, the Cubs outfielder's $115 million deal might be a massive overpay. He can turn things around, but these issues are still a big concern until he does rediscover the offensive upside he showed last year.

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