CHICAGO — Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong thought it was “cool” to hit the farthest pitch outside the strike zone for a home run in the majors this season.
The high fastball, from Pittsburgh Pirates starter Andrew Heaney in the fourth inning Thursday night, measured 8.1 inches above the edge of the strike zone, according to ESPN Research.
Crow-Armstrong crushed it to right field to break a scoreless tie.
“I’m just committing to being on time for it,” he said after the Cubs’ 3-2 win. “He has a good heater in a low slot. It presents itself with a lot of carry. I’m already thinking on top. Good to execute on a pitch like that.”
The two-run blast was Crow-Armstrong’s 18th of the season, all coming over the past two calendar months. He has been a bad-ball master this season, hitting pitches above and below the strike zone for home runs.
“What you’ve seen in 30 years of baseball says it’s hard to hit balls for home runs,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s proving me wrong.”
In addition to hitting the high fastball off Heaney, Crow-Armstrong also has two of the five home runs hit in the majors this season on pitches at least 3 inches below the zone, including one that was 5.8 inches below in early May.
“Sometimes, he hits them off the ground and sometimes he hits them over his head,” Cubs reliever Ryan Pressly said. “I don’t even know how to pitch Pete, to be honest with you.”
Crow-Armstrong is making a strong All-Star case in his second full season in the big leagues. In addition to the 18 home runs, he has 21 stolen bases while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense for the first-place Cubs. That two-way combination has vaulted him to the top of the National League in fWAR.
But those home runs are what have been eye-opening.
“He’s on time and that’s allowing his A-swing to get off,” Counsell said. “His A-swing can handle lots of pitches.”
Crow-Armstrong is tied for second in the NL in RBIs with teammate Seiya Suzuki, who also homered Thursday. The two have been jockeying for the team lead in both categories. Suzuki has 17 home runs.
It has created a fun rivalry between the two as they’ve been part of a dangerous trio, along with right fielder Kyle Tucker, in the middle of the Cubs’ lineup.
“What I’m doing is just contributing to the bigger picture,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’m still just trying to play my part because that’s what’s worked really well for us. On any given day, I don’t have to be the guy. That’s the coolest thing ever.”
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