Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong had an MLB postseason performance he would likely rather forget, as his team was swept by the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card Series.
Crow-Armstrongentered the playoffs as one of the frontrunners for National League MVP after a spectacular regular season, but he was unable to carry that production into October. The 24-year-old outfielder went 0-for-7 across the two games against San Diego, striking out four times.
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A brutal two-game series
His struggles extended beyond the batter’s box. Crow-Armstrong lost an ABS challenge, committed an error in center field and became visibly frustrated during Game 1 after being called out on a check swing by the third-base umpire.
The disappointing series added to a troubling postseason trend for Crow-Armstrong. Through 10 career playoff games, he is now just 5-for-34 at the plate, with no extra-base hits and 16 strikeouts.
That production stands in stark contrast to what Crow-Armstrong accomplished during the 2026 regular season. He hit .280 with 45 home runs, 107 RBIs and a .943 OPS, establishing himself as one of the most productive young players in baseball.
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Crow-Armstrong takes responsibility
The Cubs ultimately had little room for error after San Diego dominated the series. The Padres shut out Chicago 8-0 in Game 1 on Tuesday before completing the sweep with a 4-1 victory Wednesday.
Following the elimination, Crow-Armstrong acknowledged that he needed to perform better when the stakes were highest.
“I need to step up,” he said, taking responsibility for his own performance. Crow-Armstrong also praised his teammates, saying the Cubs “showed a lot of heart and fight” despite the disappointing ending.
For Chicago, the early playoff exit will overshadow an otherwise impressive season. For Crow-Armstrong, the postseason struggles provide another challenge to overcome as he looks ahead to next year.
After producing at an MVP-caliber level during the regular season, the young star will have an offseason to evaluate what went wrong and prepare for another opportunity to deliver when the games matter most.
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