CHICAGO CUBS NEWS — PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG

Today’s Reflections

There seems to be only one direction this issue of Cub Tracks can go, with most the articles being about possible trades suggestions, about what happened in the first half and what the second half looks like, and what groups of players need to step it up in the second half.

And the plethora of articles about Pete Crow-Armstrong. That makes the choice easy.

I’m not being a PCA fan boy, but he is the face of the Cubs right now, and a large part of the reason for that is the remarkable output during the first half of the season. Another part is the maturity he has shown following the bad fan interactions one weekend earlier this season.

People are quick to tear someone down, but we have seen the growth of maturity displayed since then and the Cubs have responded in kind — maybe not universally or consistently, but through combined resilience during the times of struggle this year. The casual fan is probably starting to notice that and the support is returning.

Will PCA continue this non-Ohtani dominance in baseball? Who knows. But is that all that is needed for the Cubs to reach the playoffs and contend for the World Series? Not at all. Everyone else has to raise their level of game to their level of PCA-ness. Not match him, but reach the top level of their personal abilities.

And injuries. Nothing PCA can do to help to the team overcome that. All the adjustments for that is being done by others and is not in his control. Those adjustments for injuries haven’t been perfect, but, given the circumstances, they’ve gone remarkably well. So well, credit should be given there for achieving a 54-42 record to this point. The record could easily be reversed without those adjustments.

All PCA can control is himself. Be the best he can be, and hopefully the Cubs, individually, can match him in being the best they can be. If that happens, the Cubs will be in a position where they could have a strong run in the playoffs.

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All-Star Break PCA-Mania:

• Joey Mistretta (Clutch Points): How Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong is planning to ‘dethrone’ Shohei Ohtani as NL MVP. “Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong revealed his plan to “dethrone” Shohei Ohtani in the National League MVP race.“
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): A conversation with Pete Crow-Armstrong as Cubs All-Star puts together MVP-level season. “As MLB Network pointed out, the first 385 games of Crow-Armstrong’s career look nearly identical to Barry Bonds’ resume at that point.”
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): We Are Witnessing One of the Single Greatest Cubs Seasons of All Time. “(The first half of 2025) was exciting, impressive, and, for a while, career-defining. And yet … this season’s first half puts that one to SHAME.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): For Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, learning to handle failure is a key part of his All-Star season. “Pete Crow-Armstrong’s stellar first-half production has been undeniable.”
• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald): Fan fail: PCA winning on field despite losing popularity contest. “The baseball world couldn’t wait to turn on Pete Crow-Armstrong.”
• Zachary Draves (Clutch Points): Pete Crow-Armstrong admits to catching ‘Bears fever,’ loves watching Devin Hester highlights. “Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong talks about his Bears fandom and watching Devin Hester highlights during the MLB All-Star Game.”

Trade and Injury Talk:

• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs Injury Update: Hunter Harvey concern, Ben Brown optimism, Edward Cabrera. “One offseason signing looks like a complete waste.“
• Conor Liguori (Sporting News): Cubs trade idea for Royals’ $51 million All-Star starter is smart for 2 reasons. “The Chicago Cubs have a chance to make a big trade at the deadline. Or would they prefer to make multiple deals that have a greater impact on the club’s postseason outlook?”
• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports): 2026 Chicago Cubs Trade Deadline Outlook. “The Cubs’ trade deadline strategy has become an increasingly important conversation in 2026.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Overlooked Cubs prospect suddenly looks like a clear trade deadline chip after insane hot streak. “He’s getting hot at just the right time.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Cubs will have to assemble a costly package to pull off a Mason Miller blockbuster. “To acquire a player of this caliber, you’ve got to give up pieces that really hurt.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs could become World Series contenders with right trade deadline moves. “But will the front office be willing to go all-in for a probable wild-card entrant to the postseason?”

Assorted stories:

• Tracy Butler (ABC7): Chicago Cubs use scoreboard rain barrels to conserve water at Wrigley Field. “2 rain barrels are helping Cubs save 1500 gallons of water per year.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: A tale of 2 Chicago baseball teams as Cubs and White Sox aim their sights on October. “The White Sox and Cubs both had successful first halves of the season, even as they did so in unconventional fashion.”
• Brock Beauchamp (North Side Baseball): What To Make Of The Cubs At The All-Star Break. “The Cubs had a long lull, but ended at the break with a respectable position. What’s in store in the second half?”
• Tyler Edmunds (OnTapSportsNet): The Cubs’ Second-Half Success Rests on Three Bats: Alex Bregman, Nico Hoerner, and Michael Busch. “Three Cubs bats need to step it up if the Cubs want to make a playoff run: Alex Bregman, Nico Hoerner, and Michael Busch.”
• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports): Four Cubs Under Pressure to Perform in the Second Half. “Despite a strong start to the season, there are plenty of players for the Chicago Cubs under pressure heading into the second half of 2026.”
• Steve Greenberg Chicago Sun-Times): Next All-Star stop: Wrigley Field, where the last Home Run Derby was so punchless it’s truly crazy. ““I hope the wind is blowing out,” multiple All-Stars in Philadelphia, including the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, said of the 2027 event.“
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Now It’s Time for Twinkle Dee & Twinkle Dum to Avoid Selling Cubs Out. “Forget the Home Run Derby or the All-Star Game itself, the best moment of the Midsummer Classic was Bruce Levine’s viral tweet.”
• Cory Sparks (North Side Baseball): Brandon Arvidson Is Set to Fly Through Cubs’ Farm System As A 12th-Round Draft Pick. “It’s unusual for 12th-round draft picks to garner so much praise, but the Cubs’ selection of Brandon Arvidson looks like an immediate steal.”

Food For Thought:

Formed in 1977 by harmonica master Billy Branch, the original incarnation of the Sons of Blues boasted a lineup composed entirely of blues scions, including bassist Freddie Dixon (son of Willie Dixon), guitarist Lurrie Bell (son of Carey Bell), and drummer Garland Whiteside (son of Clifton James). Willie Dixon served as a major mentor to the band during their early years. They first gained international recognition performing at the Berlin Jazz Festival and featuring on Alligator Records’ Living Chicago Blues series in the late 1970s.

Over the decades, as original members moved on to pursue solo careers, Billy Branch assumed permanent leadership and cultivated a world-class rotating cast of musicians. The Chicago Reader has frequently voted them the top blues band in Chicago.

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2026-07-16T12:14:31Z