Pete Crow-Armstrong Powers Cubs’ Leadoff Attack in Seattle

Crow-Armstrong continues to set an immediate tone for Chicago

SEATTLE, Washington — Pete Crow-Armstrong added another early jolt to the Chicago Cubs’ lineup Friday, launching a leadoff home run in a loss to the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. The blast was Crow-Armstrong’s third leadoff homer in four games and pushed his season total to seven, underscoring the center fielder’s emergence as one of baseball’s most dangerous top-of-the-order threats.

The Seattle homer followed back-to-back first-inning leadoff shots against the Chicago White Sox last week. Unlike those first-pitch home runs, Crow-Armstrong’s latest drive came after a demanding nine-pitch battle, giving the Cubs an immediate spark at the start of a road trip.

Second baseman Nico Hoerner said the long at-bat illustrated why Crow-Armstrong’s production at the top of the lineup has been so valuable. “The first at-bat of a road trip, having an eight-, nine-, 10-pitch at-bat like he did, to hit a homer and get us going, it’s a huge deal and sets the tone for everyone,” Hoerner said Saturday.

With seven leadoff home runs, Crow-Armstrong is five away from the Cubs’ single-season franchise record. Alfonso Soriano set that mark with 12 in 2007. The current total places Crow-Armstrong in a rare category for a player whose value has extended beyond power hitting.

Speed, patience and power reshape the Cubs’ lineup

Crow-Armstrong has drawn attention this season as an MVP candidate because of his broad impact: he has supplied power, elite baserunning and an increasingly disciplined approach at the plate. His teammates have pointed not only to the leadoff homers, but also to his ability to reach base with walks and put immediate pressure on opposing pitchers and defenses.

“We’ve got probably the most dynamic player in baseball leading off,” third baseman Alex Bregman said Friday. “He can hit the ball out of the ballpark, he can steal bags, he can battle up and slap a good at-bat on you.”

That combination has given manager Craig Counsell a player who fits both conventional and modern ideas of a leadoff hitter. Crow-Armstrong has the speed traditionally associated with the role, while also carrying the type of extra-base impact often reserved for the middle of a batting order.

Hoerner said the Cubs want Crow-Armstrong batting first because he can affect a game in multiple ways from the opening pitch. “Pete has some of the traditional leadoff qualities in the speed and the impact on the bases, but also he’s just the hitter that we want up most right now,” Hoerner said. “He kind of fits both boxes.”

Happ remains a matchup decision against left-handed starters

Elsewhere in the Cubs lineup, left fielder Ian Happ delivered an eighth-inning home run Friday that brought Chicago within one run. But he was not in the starting lineup Saturday against a left-handed starter, continuing Counsell’s recent effort to deploy him more selectively.

Happ entered Saturday batting .158 against left-handed pitching, despite carrying an .812 OPS against right-handers. His recent overall production has also dipped, with a .199 batting average across his previous 63 games entering Saturday.

Hoerner said the club remains confident Happ can recover his form, noting his history of working through difficult stretches. The Cubs’ immediate focus remains on sustaining the offensive pressure created by Crow-Armstrong at the top, with their series in Seattle ongoing.