Pete Crow-Armstrong didn’t hesitate to share his confidence in the Cubs' offense, via ESPN's Jesse Rogers.
“It's really easy to appreciate what we're doing right now,” Crow-Armstrong said. “It's also easy to just keep it going and not let that be something that we are dwelling on. It's the best offense I've ever been a part of.”
Backed by hard numbers and dominant performances, his statement seems less like a boast and more like a reflection of reality.
First baseman Michael Busch led the charge, going 4-for-4 with three home runs and five RBIs, becoming only the third Cubs player ever to hit three homers in a game against the Cardinals, all of whom did it on Independence Day. Crow-Armstrong, equally dominant, also went 4-for-4, hitting two solo home runs and making a diving catch in the first inning to set the tone.
Crow-Armstrong, recently named a National League All-Star starter, is having a phenomenal season. Through 366 plate appearances, he’s slashing .274/.309/.559 with 23 home runs, 66 RBIs, 64 runs scored, and 26 stolen bases. Defensively, he ranks third among all centerfielders with 12 Outs Above Average, which shows his value on both sides of the ball.
That July 4th game was not an isolated outburst. The Cubs, now 51-35 and leading the NL Central, have been near the top of MLB offensive rankings for much of the season. Seiya Suzuki, Carson Kelly, and Dansby Swanson each added home runs during the record-setting day, while Busch and Crow-Armstrong accounted for seven of the team’s 11 RBIs.
Manager Craig Counsell captured the unpredictability of baseball perfectly.
“It's the sport,” Counsell said, per Rogers. “It took us 10 innings to score one run yesterday… That’s why you turn the page every single day. We had a really good day today.”
That previous day, the Cubs had edged out the Cleveland Guardians 1-0. They followed up with a 5-4 win in the next game, where Crow-Armstrong had two hits and two RBIs, including a triple, while Suzuki drove in three runs.
Michael Busch’s emergence as a reliable everyday first baseman adds more depth to this stacked lineup. After batting .248 with 21 home runs last season, Busch has improved to .288 with 17 home runs and 55 RBIs in just 82 games this year. He and Pete Crow-Armstrong are now central figures in a Cubs offense that has the power, speed, and consistency to stay dangerous deep into the season.
