PCA is on pace to win MVP… as a Cub

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

CHICAGO, IL – Former top Mets prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong left the yard three times last Saturday at Wrigley Field. The next day he sent another pair of homers out of the park. New York traded Crow-Armstrong to Chicago in 2021. Now five seasons later, the centerfielder is on pace for an MVP season with the Cubs.

The Mets picked up PCA with the 19th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. The Harvard-Westlake HS product only made six appearances for the St. Lucie Mets before his season ended with a shoulder injury. With his future unknown and the Mets in the midst of a playoff push, acting General Manager Zach Scott traded Crow-Armstrong for a star.

New York got back Javier Báez for the final half-season of his contract. The reigning gold-glove shortstop moved over to second base, creating an elite middle infield with Francisco Lindor and adding a power bat to the lineup. Despite this, the move had clear flaws. Báez’s 2021 season was littered with strikeouts, finishing with a league-high and career-worst 184 K’s. He and Lindor were also caught in a spat with their own fans, giving them a thumbs down in response to their booing. 

In the end, New York missed the postseason, another late-season failure for the Mets. Báez went on to sign a long term contract with the Detroit Tigers the next year, lasting just 47 games in NYC. Though it would take a few years, New York would regret dealing a big name prospect for a rental of Báez.

Today, PCA leads the pack in the race for MVP. He leads the league in total bases, runs scored and wins above replacement (WAR). He’s second in homers behind Kyle Schwarber, second behind Yordan Alvarez in slugging and OPS, and tied for the second-most triples behind Corbin Carrol. He ranks fifth in stolen bases (12 SBs and 2 HRs away from a coveted 40-40 season) and is tied for sixth in RBI. He’s played the most innings at CF this season, leading the position in putouts and tied for 4th in assists. The reigning Gold Glover is likely a lock to win the award again.

“We were in a pennant race, and the pull to ‘do something big’ moved me off the discipline I’d usually hold,” explained Zach Scott earlier this year.

PCA is the real deal, and the Mets must be kicking themselves when thinking of the potential outfield trio of Crow-Armstrong, Carson Benge, and AJ Ewing. Still, nobody knows how he would have panned out had New York kept him and instead dealt pitcher Matt Allan, who the Cubs allegedly wanted more at the time. Allan has since dropped out of organized ball. Other coveted prospects like Jarred Kelenic never ended up coming around to bite the Mets after being traded. 

“If we moved Matt Allan instead, no one would be talking about it. And that’s just the unfortunate nature. It’s rare that you actually get burned on those types of deals,” added Scott. “We traded away a guy that tripled his value in one year, which is impressive and not that common. Obviously, it looks bad looking back.”

Prospects are often treated like lottery tickets and for good reason. It’s hard to tell who will pan out and where or when they will find their stride. Regardless, it’s another fistful of salt in the wound for Mets fans every time Pete Crow-Armstrong sends a ball into the Chicago sky. For a team that has never seen a player named MVP, it will sting when the former Met inevitably wins the award this Fall.