"Juan Soto is an extreme example" - Pete Crow-Armstrong singles out baseball stat driving blockbuster deals

Pete Crow-Armstrong isn't on a long-term contract just yet, but he will hope for one of the mega deals that are so commonplace nowadays. There are 19 active players with contracts that last at least a decade, and they're very lucrative.

The Chicago Cubs star believes he's identified the main stat that has led to this surge in spending on particular players. He said as much on 670 The Score on Thursday:

"I think after this year, I definitely understand the value in walks specifically for myself. ... It's funny, you see all the guys that are getting paid right now, their on-base percentages are really good. I mean, Juan Soto is an extreme example because he's a top three-five player in baseball." (4:00)

Crow-Armstrong said that Soto has mastered this skill and it was on full display in the World Series. It's a skill Crow-Armstrong understands the value of and wants to implement more into his game to improve offensively.

He also mentioned being able to give ground to the pitcher in order to take it back. He complimented Soto's ability to take pitches and almost lure the pitcher into a mistake that he can crush. If Soto doesn't get the mistake pitch, he's happy to take a walk as well. That's exactly how Crow-Armstrong wants to be.

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Pete Crow-Armstrong discusses mental growth

Pete Crow-Armstrong has been in the big leagues for two seasons now and could be poised for a breakout campaign. He's one of the most gifted defensive outfielders in the sport, and he's improving offensively too.

Pete Crow-Armstrong is entering his third season (Imagn)

Ahead of the 2025 season, he discussed how he's evolved mentally (via Audacy):

“I’ve probably treated this like a job for too long. And not in a bad way. I just think that I love taking this game seriously. Because it’s not a serious game, but you have to be serious about what you do in it and how you set yourself up to play nine innings every day.

"I think it’s going to sound crazy, but once I realized I wasn’t supposed to go 3-for-4 every day was when I saw that more."

The outfielder will be the everyday center fielder for Chicago with Cody Bellinger traded to the New York Yankees.