By Mark Halpern
As a TRUE die-hard Mets fan I think back to that gloomy day at the end of July in 2021, when the Mets made the trade that sent Pete Crow-Armstrong to the Chicago Cubs for Javier Baez and Trevor Williams. The Mets were making a push at the trade deadline and needed help. At this time Armstrong was sidelined with a shoulder injury that required surgery and was going to miss not only the rest of this season but most of 2022. I still am as mad and angry that day. I just keep thinking about it even today after the Mets season ended on another disappointing note, that our outfield going into next year could have been Ewing in left field, Armstrong in center and ROY candidate Carson Benge in right field, but that is a dream.
Armstrong is the Center Fielder that any team would want. In 2026 his season ending stats were jaw dropping. Armstrong had 175 hits, 41 of those being home runs, had 107 rbi’s, 119 runs scored and 41 stolen bases. The story throughout the summer was could PCA take the MVP away from Shohei Ohtani. Well, Ohtani got injured and PCA took advantage, and is now likely to win the MVP.
PCA put together a 40/40 season, which is something kids fantasize about, if they want to play Baseball. As a Mets fan watching what could’ve been is very difficult, but as a Baseball fan PCA is turning himself into one of the stars of the game. And now the Cubs are benefiting, not just off the deal, but off the six year 115 million dollar deal he signed in March.
