When speaking with the media after the Chicago Cubs’ 2025 season came to an end earlier this month, Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer spoke about the second-half struggles that center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had after an MVP-caliber first half.
“In totality, [PCA] had a great year. Going 30/30 and driving in almost 100 runs… He was so good early on, and then he struggled. And this is his first full season, and that’s something I talked to Pete a lot about over the course of the year. This is the first time he has gone through an entire season,” Hoyer said, per an X post from Marquee Sports Network.
“There could have been some fatigue there that set in, and going forward, I think he’s gonna have to shrink his strike zone and he’s gonna have to focus on those things,” he added. “But I think he will. He’s still 23 years old, he’s still learning. So I expect him to keep getting better and better… I have no question that he’ll continue to get better.”
Hoyer’s sentiment addressed an underrated aspect of PCA’s 2025 season: that he has never played a full 162-game MLB regular season before. And those who have understand just how grueling this can be, and both the mental and physical toughness it takes to persevere and sustain success through that many games.
Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) flies out to Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Isaac Collins (6) during the sixth inning of their National League Division Series game on Saturday October 4, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. / Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
While the Cubs might not have made it as far as they’d have liked in 2025, PCA and the rest of this roster received valuable experience that they’ll be able to carry into 2026 and beyond.
And for Crow-Armstrong, it seems that the newfound understanding about the demands (and positives) of paying such a long season is among his biggest takeaways, which was conveyed in quotes from him that were included in an October 23 article from The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney.
Crow-Armstrong noted that there’s less room for error in the postseason when compared to the regular season because the amount of time to play is greatly condensed, which requires a greater sense of urgency.
David Banks-Imagn Images
He also noted that the beautiful part of a baseball season is that it’s so long, which provides time to work on things and make corrections. And that learning to manage the rollercoaster season and the importance of “Just being able to stay in the fight” was the “most eye-opening thing” he learned this season.
It will be fun for Cubs fans to see how PCA turns these lessons into success next season.
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