Brett Taylor (@brett-taylor.bsky.social)

Must-Read of the Day: Pete Crow-Armstrong Takes on Pete Crow-Armstrong I’d been waiting on this kind of profile piece on Pete Crow-Armstrong for a long time. A budding young star pretty much always calls for one, but when it’s a guy as unique and thoughtful and loud and humble and exciting as PCA, you just know it’s going to be good. Well, today’s our lucky day. Wayne Drehs took on the responsibility, and delivered in a big way. This is one of the more enjoyable profiles I can remember reading in the last few years, baseball player or not: Excited to share this one with you all. My profile of the entertaining Pete Crow Armstrong and the fight within himself to achieve greatness. https://t.co/QkfRfkKZez— Wayne Drehs (@W_Drehs) February 23, 2026 Our March issue is on newsstands now! Check it out for a wide-ranging interview with Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong, The Power 50 list, and the hottest restaurants in the city. pic.twitter.com/YjofTYpXNj— Chicago magazine (@ChicagoMag) February 19, 2026 This is one of those pieces where it’s hard to call out a single anecdote because the whole things flows together to give you a real sense of the person. And that person is, among many other things, exceptionally hard on himself. For example: ‘Back to the need for grace. For the first half of last season, Pete Crow-Armstrong was at the top of his game. He paired Gold Glove defense with an unforeseen power display and served notice that he didn’t just belong but could carry a playoff-caliber team. At its peak, PCA fever brought Wrigley to its feet for each at-bat, with 35,000 fans chanting his name. “It would be a random day in June, not even a big situation that calls for it, and I’m getting ‘PCA! PCA! PCA!’ I’m like, F—, I’ve got to do something. And I’m telling you, every time that happened, I probably struck out or something.” …. He has worked with Crow-Armstrong to adjust his swing mechanics, aiming to help his timing. In practice, Mallee says, the lefty’s swing is “second to none.” But in games, it sometimes erodes. He’ll lose patience, reaching for pitches he shouldn’t. In baseball, problems often can’t be fixed by trying harder. The more you stress, the more you press, the more you struggle. Crow-Armstrong worked this off-season to find greater emotional balance on the field. He has read up on how to control his breathing and master the stress of critical moments, Mallee says.’ Baseball is already difficult, and learning how to accept the failures is one of the hardest parts at the highest level. You cannot force the good days, and applying too much pressure to yourself almost invariably leads to less success. The good news is that PCA has talent you cannot teach; and the other stuff, you can. So, for as hard as he might be on himself, he can learn to give himself a little more grace day-to-day, which, in turn, could lead to better days overall. I will also spotlight one newsy bit from the profile, as I strongly encourage you to read the whole thing: ‘The Cubs have Crow-Armstrong under contract through the end of the 2030 season, and there has been talk of an extension. “I’ve made it clear I want to be here for as long as they want me,” Crow-Armstrong says. “I want what’s best for the team. I’m cool with being under team control and being here. League minimum ain’t too f—ing bad.” …. None of that is top of mind, he says. “I play the game because I like beating other people. The money will be life-changing regardless. I would like to get a fair deal so I don’t f— the market up. I want to look out for the other center fielders who have to go through the same process. Which is why I’m glad [Cubs management] and my agents are figuring out how to do this.”’ If Pete Crow-Armstrong is merely looking for a fair deal that doesn’t mess up the market for other players, then it’s definitely a conversation I hope the Cubs are having with his representatives. Tentatively sounds like maybe they are? That was certainly the expectation for this offseason. © Matt Marton-Imagn Images https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2026/02/23/must-read-of-the-day-pete-crow-armstrong-takes-on-pete-crow-armstrong/