This story is taken from Jordan Bastian's Cubs defeating the newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Chicago – Earlier this month, Reds star Elly de La Cruz launched a tough, sinking line on the right center field gap at Wrigley Field. Pete Crow-Armstrong, a field player for the Cubs, was in a flash, where he was stuck, moving from his feet to a sliding finish on the grass.
The August 5 game was Crow-Armstrong's seemingly routine tough defense. Thankfully, Statcast can capture why such captures are elite. In one aspect related, Crow-Armstrong's jump above average was 9.5 feet, covering 60 feet in 3.5 seconds and grabbing the ball with a 15% catch probability.
“When the ball gets hit, then you see outfielders, some outfielders are just starting to move,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said earlier this season. “It feels like Pete has run three steps. It's the way the layman describes it. That's the 10-foot or 15-foot difference.”
Highlights – gel capture is interesting due to finishing the game. diving. slide. Leap on the wall. However, these displays are impossible without what happens when the ball encounters a bat.
Crow-Armstrong is an elite defender who dates back to his age as a prospect—and found a way to move forward in the region.
In spring training, Cubs' third base coach Quintin Berry and first base coach Jose Javier (new to Counsell staff) sought help Crow-Armstrong improve his already savvy defense. They looked at the video and the data carefully and came to the midfield with the idea of changing his initial move on the scene.
They discussed bringing Crow-Armstrong into a “preparation step” similar to the infielder when delivering the court. There is a small rebound or jump that allows the center field player to start moving before contacting, rather than reacting to the ball from the ready-made standing position.
“My biggest work is, 'Well, can we give this young man who is already so talented?” Berry said, “And he's willing to say, 'OK, I can do better' instead of saying, 'I'm already great. I've been great all my life.' It speaks so much about who he is as a player and a person, and who he's willing to be better. It's the biggest opening.
“He found the way he wanted to do it, and that's what I wanted. It was you. At the time, Javy put the video together and he knew it right away. It took a long time not long and he's been tearing the statistics ever since.”
As Mike Petriello of MLB.com recently wrote, Crow-Armstrong is piecing together the best out-of-court season that can be recorded. He has built a new single-season result and has a 14 five-star catch rate (0-25% catch probability) and a top-average best performance, which puts him in range to challenge Byron Buxton's 2017 record (27).
Under the hood, Crow-Armstrong's capture rate achieved an 80.3% success rate on catch rates of Level 2 or higher (0-90%), up from 73% last year. From +2.8 last season, his jump has improved to +3.9 feet this year. His reaction (foot covered the first 1.5 seconds in any direction), this year's reaction was -0.2 for 24 years.
Crow-Armstrong attributed his coach to help him cover a few more feet.
“They did give me good statistical evidence on why and analytical evidence on why it would be better for me to exercise,” Crow Alstrand said. “I was still standing last year. I've stalled. So we're now like a real infielder. … An object in a sport has been moving. I think, in a sport, I also give me a little room to swing because I want to be late to the ground.
“I hope the ball hits [my glove] When I was about to hit the ground, I could move as much as possible. I think if I break the wrong way or the first step, it's already moving to save me. Already moved faster than reading faster than when standing. ”