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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JUNE 19: Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs rounds the bases for a two-run home run in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on June 19, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Griffin Quinn/Getty Images)

Before Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong became one of the biggest factors of the lineup, he started out dominating in a modest Southern California backyard.

From the moment his parents gave him a baseball tee on his second birthday, PCA’s passion for the game was instilled.

Early In His Career

Pete’s mother remembers how each morning began with him rushing outside, repeating drills, chasing down grounders, and sharpening instincts that would later leave major league hitters shaking their heads.

“Always in motion,” his mom, Ashley Crow, said, per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “And just completely game for anything. He just loves [baseball]. He’s loved it as early as 3.”

To those who’ve watched PCA grow up, none of his ongoing success is surprising. The hustle, the continued growth as a MLB player just defines his character. Before most toddlers were stringing sentences together, he was squaring up plastic fastballs in the yard.

That T-ball set? Retired early. By the time other kids were learning the rules, he was already rewriting them.

“Everyone expects this Hollywood answer to this question,” Crow-Armstrong told ESPN recently. “Nah, I was outside every day playing ball. Minimal screen time. I went to set once or twice, but other than that I was in the backyard. We had a big backyard.”

Rising to Cubs Fame

After being traded from the New York Mets while still rehabbing, Armstrong quietly seized the moment with Chicago. What began as a slow start in 2025 quickly transformed into a breakout surge.

What truly sets PCA apart, though, is how much of that “backyard kid” remains in him. He still warms up with a tee before games — not for cameras or fans, but because that’s where his love for baseball was born.

“There’s a little bit of a reserve by them,” Harvard-Westlake coach Jared Halpert said. “No one wants to get out there and compete with the high school kids. Nothing to gain. But Pete just doesn’t care about that. He’s out there every day when he comes back here. He’s taking reps and getting after it with these high school kids. He doesn’t care how he looks.

“When you talk about little kids playing baseball, this is the epitome of that. It’s a business, but this kid is in love with the game. That’s what he’s showing everybody right now.”

His infectious energy and genuine passion lift the entire Cubs clubhouse in 2025.

“He’s playing at as high a level that I’ve seen a center fielder play,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said this week. “We’re 70 games in but how he’s playing it, it’s as good as I’ve seen.”

As Crow-Armstrong continues to rise on the big-league stage, his story resonates beyond stats and highlight reels. It’s the story of a kid who found magic in a backyard where baseball was never just a game — it was an identity. Watching him now, it’s clear that he’s been preparing for this for years.

Derek Hryn Derek Hryn is a writer for Heavy.com. He has extensive experience covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball, along with providing expert fantasy football analysis for DraftKings and SB Nation. His work has been featured at Sports Illustrated, USA Today, NBC Sports, The New York Post, and others. More about Derek Hryn