Pete Crow-Armstrong is doing things on a baseball field that we haven’t seen in forever, straight up playing like he’s the best player in Major League Baseball this season. ESPN’s Jeff Passan isn’t just tossing around compliments either, he’s gone ahead and compared Crow-Armstrong to a prime Mike Trout, a future Hall of Famer known for being one of the greatest ever. That’s not just high praise, it’s totally earned.
This Is The “Best Prime Mike Trout Impression” You’ll Ever See
Passan didn’t pull that Trout comparison out of thin air. He literally wrote, “Best Prime Mike Trout Impression: Pete Crow-Armstrong.” Think about that. We’re talking about a guy who has been absolutely dominant, playing elite defense in center field while also leading MLB with 45 home runs. Seriously, Crow-Armstrong has been the best position player not just this year, but arguably for the last few decades. The numbers back it up: he’s above 10 fWAR this season, putting him in incredibly exclusive company. Only five players in the past half-century have hit that mark: Barry Bonds did it five times, Aaron Judge three, and Mike Trout a couple of times. Rickey Henderson, Mookie Betts, and now Crow-Armstrong have each done it once. When you stack him up against that list, Trout is the closest comparison for PCA.
The MVP Stats Speak For Themselves
Let’s talk about the stat sheet. With a few games left to go in the season, Crow-Armstrong has crushed 45 home runs, driven in 107 RBIs, and scored 118 runs. He’s also racked up 30 doubles, eight triples, and swiped an insane 38 bases. Add in that elite defense in center field and an NL-best .949 OPS and a 157 OPS+, and you’ve got yourself a runaway MVP. He is a lock for the National League MVP this season, no question. While his current bWAR of 9.6 probably won’t quite hit Trout’s personal bests of 10.4 and 10.5, the prime Trout comparison still holds up strong. Yeah, Trout did have a higher OPS, posting an OPS+ north of 157 for eleven straight seasons from 2012 to 2022. But get this: Crow-Armstrong has been a better defender in center field and he’s got a more consistent base-stealing ability, even if Trout’s peak of 49 steals in 2012 is out of reach this year. He’s just playing at an absurdly high level, exactly like Trout did in his prime.
This comparison from Passan isn’t just deserved, it’s a huge nod to what Crow-Armstrong has accomplished. He’s about to collect his first MVP award once the season wraps up, and honestly, we can’t wait to see him lift that trophy. What a season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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