CHICAGO — Pete Crow-Armstrong’s breakout season saw the Chicago Cubs center fielder garnered plenty of attention this year.

From being voted to start for the National League in July’s All-Star Game to producing the Cubs’ first 30-30 season since Sammy Sosa, Crow-Armstrong has quickly become one of the top young players in Major League Baseball.

His ascension has earned him a spot on the international stage: Crow-Armstrong will play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic this spring. He joins the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll and the three-time New York Yankees MVP Aaron Judge in Team USA’s outfield. The honor was revealed Thursday during the league’s awards ceremony in Las Vegas.

“He’s not a finished product, he’s going to continue to get better,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said this week at the general manager meetings in Las Vegas. “The season he had was incredible. I thought he was the best defender in baseball, and he had flashes of the really great offensive player. He struggled at times. That’s pretty normal for a 23-year-old, so I think he’ll continue to get better, and we’ll continue to work with him.

“What Pete did to help us win baseball games was exceptional.”

Crow-Armstrong’s all-around game earned him a ninth-place finish in NL MVP voting, one of four Cubs to receive votes. His stellar defensive performance landed him his first Gold Glove Award. Crow-Armstrong’s combination of speed and power at the plate put him in rare company too. He finished with 31 home runs, 37 doubles and 35 stolen bases, a 30-30-30 campaign that only 56 MLB players have done and the lone Cubs player to accomplish the feat.

As he enters his third full season in the majors in 2026, the potential surrounding Crow-Armstrong, who doesn’t turn 24 until March, is still tantalizing.

“His ability to get the ball in the air to the pole side this year was really strong, and so he has home run power, I think he’ll continue to refine his approach,” Hoyer said. “I don’t know what the best version of Pete will look like in the coming years. I don’t know whether it’s fewer homers or not. I don’t know what it looks like, but I think he’ll continue to just get better.

“One of the best things about playing great defense is like he gets in the lineup every day — he’s always going to play. He’s always going to be out there because he helps us win. The more reps you get, the more at-bats you get, the more chance you have to refine your craft. And I think that’s why a lot of times those young, good defenders can continue to develop offensively because their defense gets them in the game.”

The 2026 World Baseball Classic will be held March 5-17 in Miami, Houston, Tokyo and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The semifinals (March 15-16) and championship game (March 17) will take place in Miami.

©2025 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.