Pete Crow-Armstrong already has produced quite a few highlight-reel worthy catches as he heads into his second full season {of professional} baseball.
So when requested to fee his most up-to-date diving seize within the seventh inning of Tuesday’s Cactus League win towards the Texas Rangers — easily navigating the approaching wall as he leaped whereas crossing over onto the warning-track dust — Crow-Armstrong remarked, “Oh, that’s up there.” The play saved the sport tied, stopping the runner on second base from scoring.
In breaking down his catch, Crow-Armstrong famous how the baseball got here off the bat of right-handed hitter Ezequiel Duran, making it simpler for him to evaluate the play due to the anticipated trajectory and descent of the ball. If it had been hit to the right-center subject hole by a lefty, that play’s issue would have been amplified with the best way the ball would have landed.
“So I wouldn’t say that was the hardest catch I’ve ever made in my life,” Crow-Armstrong advised the Tribune. “But what made it a little difficult was the sun and then the last second having to recheck where I was because it was smoked and it was hit low, but it kept carrying so I was a little wary of the wall toward the end of that route.”
Crow-Armstrong, rated the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect, has made a powerful impression on his big-league teammates and the teaching workers. Third-base coach Willie Harris, who works with the outfielders, stated Crow-Armstrong’s monitor file “speaks volumes of what he’s capable of doing in the outfield.”
Harris touted every little thing Crow-Armstrong does to place himself in place to make these elite catches: an amazing first step, quickness and his prepitch setup. All of which fee as plus-plus attributes.
“From a defensive standpoint — and I will go out on a limb and say this — he’s going to be one of the top-10 center fielders to ever play out there,” Harris advised the Tribune. “That’s what I see in him. That’s my expectation from him. He’s very, excellent defensively. It’s enjoyable to look at.
“PCA’s in a different league, man, and I’m not saying that to knock anyone. … I mean, I feel like he can help our major-league club right now defensively. We have to understand the situation and stick to the process, but he’s going to be a very special player for a long time.”
Crow-Armstrong, who turns 21 on March 25, is utilizing his first major-league camp expertise with the Cubs to soak in as a lot info as he can. Sometimes that includes in-depth conversations. He additionally depends on visible studying, gleaning data on positioning and mechanics from watching different outfielders. He has labored with an outfield group that features Gold Glove winners Ian Happ and Cody Bellinger and is getting an prolonged alternative as a midgame alternative with the Cubs lacking just a few gamers, comparable to outfielder Ben DeLuzio, due to the World Baseball Classic.
“I mean, that’s a really hard catch but doesn’t surprise me, though, coming from him,” stated Bellinger, who has identified Crow-Armstrong just a few years. “I’ve seen him make spectacular plays out there. He’s a very special type of athlete. … I go about my business and hopefully it rubs off the right way for him. He’s been doing a great job in camp.”
As with any creating younger participant, there are parts of Crow-Armstrong’s defensive sport through which he can enhance.
One space that stands out to Harris is extra constant throws to the proper base. Sometimes there is usually a temptation when an outfielder has an amazing arm to attempt to throw everybody out, Harris stated, fairly than protecting the state of affairs in thoughts. Harris pointed to a throw Crow-Armstrong made Wednesday towards Team Canada within the eighth inning when he threw to 3rd on a single to middle subject that allowed the hitter to succeed in second, erasing the potential of protecting the double play so as.
“Things like that come with experience and making mistakes,” Harris stated. “And he’ll learn that.”
His temporary time within the New York Mets group helped Crow-Armstrong iron out some deficiencies in his route working. During outfield drills with Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora in spring 2021, they urged he run with the ball and never attempt to beat it, explaining it will decrease shakiness when working and permit him to raised learn when a ball begins to flutter.
Crow-Armstrong known as their perception the perfect piece of outfield recommendation he has obtained from a mechanics standpoint.
“I’ve kept that with me the last two years,” Crow-Armstrong stated. “A lot of times when I got into trouble and I’d undercut balls was when I tried to beat it to the spot because then you give yourself less time to judge where it’s going.”
Crow-Armstrong should proceed to progress offensively as he strikes via the Cubs minor-league system to turn out to be the kind of all-around participant the group believes he may be. He confirmed indicators of his offensive potential in 101 video games between Low-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend, hitting .312/.376/.520, however is aware of there nonetheless is room for offensive progress.
Part of that features stealing extra bases. Crow-Armstrong needs he had been extra energetic within the run sport after recording 32 stolen bases in 2022. Although he entered Friday hitting 2-for-16 via 11 spring video games, he has stolen 4 bases and has been caught twice. He believes the important thing to stealing extra bases is a mixture of cleansing up his first transfer and conviction in his response.
“I need to utilize my speed a little bit more than I did,” Crow-Armstrong stated. “But it’s nice. I mean, the goal of spring training is to get your feeling back. I’m definitely not satisfied with the results I’ve had hitting-wise, but getting on base, getting to practice my jumps and stuff like that has been huge, so I’ll take however I can get on base right now.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com