The Growing Legend of PCA
Pete Crow-Armstrong has truly arrived. After a solid 2024 season, the Chicago Cubs center fielder has grown into a star on the field and in The Hobby in 2025. His electrifying first half, in which he’s already put up more than 20 homers and 20 stolen bases, has been rewarded with his first-ever nod as a starter in the upcoming 2025 MLB All-Star Game.
Let’s take a look at PCA’s meteoric rise into baseball’s elite.
Beginnings
Pete Crow-Armstrong was selected 19th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft by the New York Mets. It took awhile for PCA’s career to get going. The 2020 season was canceled, and early in 2021, he faced an injury setback that required surgery. That same year, Crow-Armstrong was dealt to the New York Mets in exchange for then-two-time All-Star and 2016 NLCS MVP and World Series Champion Javier Báez. It was a huge statement from the Cubs in their belief in PCA, and he has gone on to reward the organization, proving them right for making the move.
PCA’s most valuable card is from his time in the Mets’ organization. His 2020 Bowman Chrome Draft card has become one of the hottest prospect chase cards in The Hobby. This Auto version numbered to five is currently listed as the top Crow-Armstrong sale of all-time, fetching over $50,000 on June 27, 2025 through Fanatics Collect. All told, at writing, Card Ladder lists that the top 14 PCA sales have all come since May 4, 2025.
In 2022, a healthy and settled PCA got to work. In his first season in the Cubs’ system, he took home an MiLB Gold Glove and was selected to play in the 2022 All-Star Futures Game, chosen alongside the likes of other young Hobby stars such as Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll. By 2023, he had risen to #28 on the MLB Pipeline Top 100 Prospects. He was just getting started.
With Crow-Armstrong establishing himself as one of the most exciting players in the game today, it’s no surprise that his Cubs prospect cards are also highly coveted. After Mets’ offerings in 2020 and 2021, PCA got his early Cubs cards in 2022, including this beautiful 2022 Bowman Chrome Sapphire card numbered to five, which is currently listed for $3,700 on Fanatics Collect.
2024: PCA Flashes Potential
Pete Crow-Armstrong made his MLB Debut in September 2023, appearing in 13 games. The following season, he played in 123 and gave Cubs fans and The Hobby a taste of what was to come. While he batted only .237 with an OPS of .670, he was phenomenal on the basepaths, stealing 27 bases. He also flashed decent power, hitting 10 home runs while driving in 47 runs.
His rookie season included one of the Cubs’ plays of the season, an incredible inside-the-park home run that showcased PCA’s otherworldly speed. He circled the bases in 14.08 seconds, reaching a speed of 30.4 feet per second. Topps NOW commemorated the moment with this card. A Base Relic version numbered to 10 sold for $525 on June 12, 2025.
PCA was a highly featured rookie across the Topps Baseball landscape in 2024, including a Rookie Debut Patch Auto Card, which are among the hottest cards in all The Hobby. This 2024 Topps Heritage RC is a brilliant color match with the image of Crow-Armstrong in Cubs blue. It’s currently listed on Fanatics Collect for $300.
PCA’s freakish athleticism also made him a perfect fit for a place in 2024 Topps Cosmic Chrome’s Extraterrestrial Talent insert. The 25-card insert places Crow-Armstrong alongside the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and more.
2025: A First Half for the Ages
This season, Pete Crow-Armstrong has taken Major League Baseball by storm. After a slow March, he lit up the league in April, hitting .312 while driving in 19 runs. In May, he batted in 29, to go along with nine home runs. He’s wowing fans and collectors with an array of amazing plays at the plate, on the basepaths, and in the field. Topps NOW is once again with PCA along the way, commemorating some of the history he’s creating while helping the Cubs to the top of the NL Central.
This Topps NOW card celebrated PCA becoming the fourth-fastest player since 1900 to reach 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases, a feat he accomplished by June 3. Since then, he’s already hit the 20/20 mark.
A Superstar is Born
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s amazing start to the 2025 MLB season has catapulted him to the top tier of the game, and made him one of the most sought-after players in The Hobby. At writing, he’s top 10 in the majors in home runs and RBI, and third in stolen bases.
A player with all the tools at his disposal, and all the potential in the world, PCA looks to be at the beginning of what will be a phenomenal career, and he fully deserves his rising role in The Hobby.
