Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong cycle makes special history for storied franchise originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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There isn’t anything that Pete Crow-Armstrong can’t do on a baseball field. The Chicago Cubs‘ centerfielder is one of MLB’s most talented players, whether it’s with a bat, on the basepaths or in the outfield.
On Monday night, PCA did one of those things that only the most gifted of players ever accomplish: He hit for the cycle.
A single, a double, a triple and a home run — the kind of night most players can only dream of.
In fact, Crow-Armstrong is only the second Cubs player to hit for a cycle since the year 2000, and just the 13th in the history of this storied franchise.
Carson Kelly, the slow-footed catcher, managed a cycle last season. Before that, there hadn’t been one for the Cubbies since 1993.
Amusingly, PCA needed just a single to complete the cycle on Monday night, and he came through:
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG COMPLETES THE CYCLE ‼️ pic.twitter.com/X3yjpSxEtL
— MLB (@MLB) June 16, 2026
His mind may have been elsewhere after the special feat, because Crow-Armstrong almost immediately got picked off of first base:
Pete Crow-Armstrong gets picked off immediately after hitting for the cycle https://t.co/ZVGy6Pmr28pic.twitter.com/nNp0qL2g4P
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 16, 2026
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That didn’t negate history, though. PCA had already checked all the boxes.
A cycle is one of baseball’s quirkiest feats, because while it’s extra special, it isn’t the peak accomplishment.
There are other ways to end up with 10 total bases, or more, some of them technically more impressive from a slugging perspective.
But this has been passed down through baseball’s tradition as an important achievement, and it’s one that rarely ever happens.
For most players, the triple is the hardest thing, but really, it’s about getting all four of them in one game that makes it so tough.
On Monday night, PCA became the first player this season to hit for the cycle, and it earned him some much-deserved headlines.
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Crow-Armstrong is a lockdown defender in center. If a ball is hit in the air out there, it’s getting caught.
Sometimes at the plate, he can find himself a bit too swing-happy, leading to a bunch of whiffs.
But when he’s locked in, PCA is uber-dangerous, and right now, it’s clear he’s in a zone.
And when Crow-Armstrong gets like this, he’s legitimately one of the best players in baseball, and now he’s got a cycle to help prove it.
