Scouting grades: Hit 55 | Power 40 | Run 60 | Arm 55 | Field 60 | Overall 50
Hailing from the same high school, Harvard-Westlake, that has produced big leaguers like Jack Flaherty, Max Fried and Lucas Giolito, Crow-Armstrong has been on radars for some time. He really jumped on the national map when he starred as an underclassman on USA Baseball's 18 and Under team that won a gold medal in the Pan-American Championships. A combination of being under the microscope for so long and a more uneven summer has led Crow-Armstrong's star to fade a bit, though a big push at the start of the spring moved him back up Draft boards.
Crow-Armstrong stood out early on in his high school career because of his ability to hit and run. Some swing and miss over this summer had some evaluators concerned, but he does have a track record of making a lot of loud contact. While he's clearly hit over power, he's stronger than some people think and there should be pop in the future, with some of that strength and power showing up before things were shut down. A plus runner, he can really play center and might be the best defensive outfielder in the class.
A dynamic athlete who goes hard at all times, he reminds some of a Grady Sizemore type in terms of his frame. He's committed to Vanderbilt and was moving back up closer to the top of the first round with a return to who he'd been, along with some added strength, at the beginning of his senior year.
The son of actors Matthew Armstrong and Ashley Crow (who played the mother in the baseball movie "Little Big League"), Crow-Armstrong repeatedly starred on U.S. national youth and junior teams before signing with Mets for $3,359,000 as the 19th overall pick in the 2020 Draft. His 2021 pro debut ended after six games when he tore the labrum in his right (non-throwing) shoulder during a baserunning mishap that May, and New York traded him to the Cubs for Javier Báez and Trevor Williams two months later. Crow-Armstrong has since developed into the game's best defensive prospect, displayed a higher offensive ceiling than expected and made his big league debut last September at age 21.
Crow-Armstrong was more of a line-drive hitter with limited power as an amateur, but Chicago helped him alter his quick left-handed swing so that he could lift and pull balls more easily. He's hitting the ball harder than ever and now looks like a 20-homer threat. He's still learning to curb a tendency to become overly aggressive, a trait that was obvious when he went 0-for-14 with seven strikeouts with the Cubs, but he'll also show a willingness to use the entire field and patiently work counts at times.
Crow-Armstrong's combination of plus-plus speed, outstanding instincts and fearlessness allow him to cover a tremendous amount of ground in center field and make plays most defenders can only dream of. He adds to his defensive package with solid arm strength and accuracy on his throws. His aggressiveness carries over to the bases as well, and he stole 39 bags in 51 attempts last season.
Crow-Armstrong entered the summer of 2019 as the top-rated high school prospect, and while his stock dipped slightly, he still went 19th overall in the 2020 Draft and signed with the Mets for $3,359,000. The California high school product's pro debut ended after six games when he tore the labrum in his non-throwing shoulder during a baserunning mishap in May 2021, and New York traded him to the Cubs for Javier Baez and Trevor Williams two months later. In his first year in the new organization, he demonstrated newfound power at the plate, established himself as the game's best defensive prospect, played in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and helped South Bend win the High-A Midwest League championship.
As an amateur, Crow-Armstrong used his quick left-handed stroke and a disciplined mindset to lace line drives to all fields. Chicago helped him incorporate some swing changes designed to allow him to pull and lift balls more easily, and he responded last year by making increased hard contact and showing at least 20-homer potential. He did become noticeably more aggressive, striking out nearly five times as much as he walked following a promotion to High-A, and will need to tone down his approach to succeed against more advanced pitching.
As exciting as Crow-Armstrong's enhanced offensive upside is, it pales in comparison to his defense. Scouts give top-of-the-scale grades to his center-field skills, as he exhibits tremendous range from gap to gap with his combination of plus speed and precision reads and routes, and he completes the package with solid arm strength. He's aggressive in the outfield and on the bases, stealing 32 bags in 43 tries last season.
Part of a Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) program that has produced seven big leaguers -- including Jack Flaherty, Max Fried and Lucas Giolito -- Crow-Armstrong ranked as the best high school prospect in the 2020 class entering the showcase circuit the previous summer. While his stock dipped slightly, he still went 19th overall in the Draft and signed with the Mets for $3,359,000. His pro debut lasted just six games before he tore the labrum in his right (non-throwing) shoulder in a baserunning mishap and required season-ending surgery last May, two months before New York traded him to the Cubs for Javier Baez and Trevor Williams.
Crow-Armstrong's quick left-handed stroke and mature approach is built for spraying line drives all over the park. He could fit near the top of an order with his hitting ability and on-base skills, not to mention his plus speed and baserunning savvy. While it initially was believed he might not have more than average raw power, he has made some swing changes that are allowing him to launch and pull balls more easily, and he now may have 20-homer pop.
The top outfield defender in the 2020 Draft, Crow-Armstrong is a no-doubt center fielder with Gold Glove potential. He covers tremendous ground with his quickness and instincts, and he also possesses solid arm strength. He has a similar profile to former Cubs center fielder Albert Almora, though he bats left-handed and should be a better hitter.
2021
Scouting Grades: Hit 55 | Power 40 | Run 60 | Arm 55 | Field 65 | Overall 50
Crow-Armstrong ranked as the best high school prospect entering the showcase circuit before his senior season, and while he didn't quite maintain that status, he still went 19th overall in the 2020 Draft and signed with the Mets for $3,359,000. He played only six games in New York's system, however, before tearing the labrum in his right (non-throwing) shoulder in a baserunning mishap this May. Two months later, the Mets dealt him to the Cubs for Javier Baez and Trevor Williams.
One of the best pure hitters in the 2020 high school class, Crow-Armstrong has a quick left-handed swing geared for hitting line drives to all fields. There's some question as to how much power he'll produce, but he could develop into a 15-homer threat as he adds more strength and turns on more pitches. He has plus speed and the instincts to make the most of it on the bases.
While he has offensive upside as a catalyst atop a batting order, Crow-Armstrong may be more impressive as a center fielder. He might have been the top outfield defender in the 2020 Draft and has Gold Glove potential. He enhances his quickness with good reads and routes, and he also features solid arm strength.
2020
Scouting Grades: Hit 55 | Power 40 | Run 60 | Arm 55 | Field 60 | Overall 50
Hailing from the same high school, Harvard-Westlake, that has produced big leaguers like Jack Flaherty, Max Fried and Lucas Giolito, Crow-Armstrong has been on radars for some time. He really jumped on the national map when he starred as an underclassman on USA Baseball's 18 and Under team that won a gold medal in the Pan-American Championships. A combination of being under the microscope for so long and a more uneven summer caused Crow-Armstrong's star to fade a bit, though a big push at the start of the spring moved him back up Draft boards, leading to his selection by the Mets with the 19th overall pick in the 2020 Draft.
Crow-Armstrong stood out early on in his high school career because of his ability to hit and run. Some swings and misses over the summer had some evaluators concerned, but he does have a track record of making a lot of loud contact from the left side of the plate. Though he profiles as a hit-over-power offensive player, he’s also stronger than some people think and could surpass his early power projections. Some of that strength and power was starting to show up before his senior season was shut down.
A plus runner, Crow-Armstrong can really play center and was viewed by scouts as perhaps the best defensive outfielder in his class. He’s a dynamic athlete who goes hard at all times and seemingly gets to everything hit in the air with his outstanding first-step quickness and preternatural feel for reading the ball off the bat. That defensive prowess gives Crow-Armstrong a higher floor than the typical high school pick, though his ultimate ceiling will be determined by his development at the plate.
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
Standard
Year
HR
2023
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2024
10
9
9
14
8
11
11
10
8
6
9
8
9
10
10
8
10
10
11
11
8
8
13
10
8
8
6
5
11
11
11
Player
10
9
9
14
8
11
11
10
8
6
9
9
9
10
10
8
10
10
11
11
8
8
13
10
8
8
6
5
11
11
11
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here