Pete Crow-Armstrong is one of the most exciting players in baseball.
But the thing exciting the Cubs most about their star center fielder these days isn’t the home runs, the clutch hits, the base-swiping speed or the jaw-dropping defensive ability.
It’s that he’s taking his walks.
Crow-Armstrong had an utterly ridiculous month at the plate, carrying an outrageous 1.243 OPS in June into the Cubs’ game Tuesday against the Padres, a number boosted by his reaching base four times in a walk-off victory Monday.
Crow-Armstrong scored the winning run in the ninth inning, but the next-day compliments were reserved for what he did three innings earlier, drawing a walk from Padres reliever Adrian Morejon, who had issued only seven in 42 innings this season.
‘‘We enjoy some of the smaller things,’’ manager Craig Counsell said when he was asked about Crow-Armstrong’s never-ending exploits, ‘‘but that walk against Morejon was a great at-bat where Pete was really in control of the at-bat against one of the best left-handed relievers in the game.’’
His teammates — some pretty top-of-the-line walkers among them — were equally
impressed.
‘‘Those things are just generally a reflection of the confidence he has in his at-bats and the trust to take borderline pitches and really know what he wants to hit,’’ second baseman Nico Hoerner said. ‘‘The walk he had off Morejon in a big spot, everyone on their feet, one of the best lefty relievers in the game, just pass it on to the next guy? Impressive.’’
Crow-Armstrong walking isn’t news because it’s new, but it has become a talking point because he’s doing something this group has made a staple of its identity.
The Cubs, even with their extended period of offensive malaise from early May to early June, are the majors’ walk kings, entering Tuesday with 377 of them, more than 30 more than the next-highest team (the Brewers).
The Cubs ranked near the top of the majors in on-base percentage (fifth at .336) and led MLB with an 11.2% walk rate.
As the bats have heated up during the last couple of weeks, the walks have been part of the recipe. The Cubs drew four walks Monday and six more Tuesday against the Padres after drawing 18 in three games against the Brewers, including a quartet against flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski on Friday.
During a four-game sweep of the Mets in which they scored 33 runs, the Cubs drew a combined 17 free passes.
‘‘We have a roster that’s very capable of guys getting on base,’’ left fielder Ian Happ said Saturday in Milwaukee. ‘‘Obviously, we’re up there in the league in on-base percentage, just finding a way to get on base.
‘‘The [first two games of the series against the Brewers], though starting pitchers have done a great job against us, the pitch counts have been up there a little bit. We definitely did that in New York, too, and got guys out of the game quick.’’
Crow-Armstrong and first baseman Michael Busch rank among the top 30 in the majors in on-base percentage. Busch and Happ rank among the top 30 in walk rate. Busch, Happ and third baseman Alex Bregman rank among the top 30 in walks.
Formerly slumping shortstop Dansby Swanson broke out of his doldrums New Yorkk, but even when his numbers were their ugliest, he was proud of his career-best walk rate. Busch, like Crow-Armstrong, has received shoutouts for improving plate discipline — he entered Tuesday with 13 multi-walk games, the second-highest total in the National League — even with his power numbers down from a season ago.
It’s a teamwide thing on the North Side, much like the defense that is the backbone of the Cubs, and it has fueled an offensive rebirth in the middle of the season.
The Cubs entered Tuesday having won 13 of their last 17 games. During that span, since June 11, they led the majors with 108 runs scored and 83 walks.
For all the thrills Crow-Armstrong brings and all the walk-off victories that have made the fans at Wrigley go bonkers, it’s the presence of the pedestrian bases on balls that figures to be key to the Cubs reaching their championship-level goals.
