Cubs No. 1 Prospect Proves Patience, Unlocks Power With Grand Slam After Going Down 0-2 In 16-Pitch At-Bat
Pete Crow-Armstrong was a big piece of the trade that sent Javier Báez to the New York Mets back in July of 2021. The former first round MLB Draft pick is the top prospect for the Chicago Cubs and the No. 25 prospect in all of baseball.
At 21-years-old, Crow-Armstrong spent his first spring training with the big league club earlier this year before heading back down to the Double-A level. He was named one of the three best outfielders on the minor league level last season and consistently dazzles with his glove.
Although his defensive prowess might be his calling card, Crow-Armstrong is hitting .320 over the course of his Minor League Baseball career. He's off to another hot start in 2023 and it continued with an incredible at-bat on Wednesday night.
Crow-Armstrong is hitting .341 with nine RBIs, seven stolen bases and two home runs in 44 at-bats for the Tennessee Smokies. His second home run of the season came in one of the best displays of patience that you will ever see.
The bases were juiced with nobody out in the top of the eighth inning. Crow-Armstrong stepped into the box and quickly fell down 0-2 in the count after watching two-straight pitches. Historically, batting averages drop to under .160 after the count begins with two strikes.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had other plans.
Here is how the remarkable at-bat went down:
Crow-Armstrong saw two strikes, fouled off 10 pitches, and never even saw the count get to 3-2 before clearing the bases with a shot to right field. The 16th pitch of the intense war put the Smokies up 9-0.
They say that patience is a virtue that unlocks power. Crow-Armstrong's 16-pitch grand slam is the perfect example!