“Chicago’s got a lot to look forward to.”
Pete Crow-Armstrong couldn’t have said it any better after his latest MVP moment, one that came in front of his fellow Chicago sports icons-in-the-making.
The Cubs’ center fielder smashed a victory-defining homer in the thick of a pennant race, giving Wrigleyville another reason to go nuts.
But with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Bulls youngsters Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson taking in the game from behind the Cubs’ dugout, that revelry expanded to fans of all stripes across the city.
It illuminated the potential of what could be coming: these guys causing celebrations for a generation of Chicago sports fans.
“I thought last night, for Chicago sports fans – or if you were at Wrigley last night – was really special,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Friday. “They’ve started something pretty cool, for sure.”
Friends of Crow-Armstrong, the trio got massive cheers when shown on the video board, with the camera panning to Crow-Armstrong in the dugout, who pointed right back at them.
“Those are good people, those are my people,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Those are great representatives of Chicago.”
It was a rarity, this city-wide star power under one roof. How often do the complex schedules of football, basketball and baseball even allow for such a moment?
Williams is already one of the higher-profile quarterbacks in the NFL after leading the Bears to a string of unbelievable comeback victories last season, including over the rival Packers in the playoffs.
Crow-Armstrong has been on the sidelines at Soldier Field before. He hopes to be there again.
“Would I like to see the Packers get swept this year? Absolutely,” Crow-Armstrong said, knowing his audience. “I’m excited to go to all those games and show up just like he has.”
As the Bulls look toward a future they hope is brighter than what’s played out in recent seasons, they’re looking at Buzelis and Wilson – first-round picks in two of the last three years – as exciting cornerstones.
Sure, there was no representation from the Blackhawks on Thursday, but Connor Bedard is a player worth being equally excited about.
And while the White Sox, with playoff dreams of their own, and Cubs are rarely counted as allies, there’s more commonality there than you might think.
“It’s good for people to play into that and believe in that rivalry,” Crow-Armstrong said. “But at the same time, for us, it’s such a good opportunity to showcase what the city has to offer athletically and on the baseball field, specifically.”
In other words, these are exciting times.
And there was no better visual encapsulation of that excitement than Thursday’s cross-sport get together.
“It’s huge having guys show up and support each other,” Crow-Armstrong said. “The friendship alone is great, and I’m lucky to have that. But to be able to show the city that we’re all pulling for each other and we all believe in each other is huge.”
Shota stops mini skid
Lefty starter Shota Imanaga responded to back-to-back clunkers with a strong outing Friday, throwing six innings of one-run ball against the Marlins.
Imanaga made the shortest start of his career two weekends ago against the Mariners, then gave up three homers in a loss to the Reds, ballooning his season total to a league-worst 33.
Friday, Imanaga stopped a streak of six straight starts with at least one homer allowed.
Do-it-all PCA
After his power display Thursday, Crow-Armstrong flashed his other abilities Friday, walking for the 74th time, stealing his 33rd base of the season, scoring on a wild pitch and making an eye-popping leaping catch against the center-field wall.
THERE’S GOOD AND THEN THERE’S PETE. pic.twitter.com/E9Zx2l3Lxz
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 5, 2026