December 21, 2024

Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong began to showcase his high prospect pedigree towards the conclusion of last season and is shaping up to be a popular sleeper pick during the 2025 campaign. Crow-Armstrong posted a poor .203/.253/.329 line before the All-Star Break last summer and was eventually sent down to Triple-A. However, during the second half of the summer, the former top prospect in the Northside began to put it together in the big leagues as he posted a solid .262/.310/.425. During August, the former first-round selection was quite impressive as he posted a .314/.375/.558 line. In total, he hit ten long balls last season. While his bat took some time to develop over the season, his speed was always prevalent as he swiped an eye-catching 27 bags in his first major league season. In addition, on the defensive side of the game, Crow-Armstrong placed in the 98th percentile in outs above average and 96th percentile in arm strength, which will encourage the Cubs to keep in the lineup even if he goes through slumps at the plate. Sitting with a 139.18 ADP, investing in a young hitter with minimal power upside and a shaky batting average can be challenging. However, given his elite speed potential, fantasy managers should feel comfortable drafting Crow-Armstrong as he should be in store for a 30+ stolen base campaign, having an everyday role in the starting nine, albeit with a potential unstable output in the batter's box. In addition, if Crow-Armstrong can claim the leadoff spot in the lineup, he could produce a lot of runs batting in front of Seiya Suzuki and Kyle Tucker.--Andy Smith