Pete Crow-Armstrong was always known for his glove, and now, he’s showing it at the big league level.
The former Mets prospect and current Cubs outfielder was called up earlier this week and is already playing some Gold Glove defense for Chicago, especially in two catches he made Tuesday night in a 6-4 loss to the Rockies.
In his first big league start, the 21-year-old batted eighth and patrolled center field for the Cubs, making an impression immediately in the first inning against the Rockies.
Colorado slugger Nolan Jones ripped a deep fly ball off Cubs starter Javier Assad that kept carrying to the deep expanses of Coors Field, but Crow-Armstrong was undeterred and made a leaping catch before crashing into the center field fence, hanging onto the ball.
And five innings later, the spry outfielder again had Jones’ number.
With one out in the sixth, Jones took a pitch from reliever Daniel Palencia and crushed a high fly ball into the right-center field gap that appeared as if it might drop in front of the warning track.
Crow-Armstrong, positioned closer to straightaway center, sprinted after the ball and made a sliding, backhanded snag before the ball plopped into the grass for the out.
The rookie has an 80-grade fielding tool and 60-grade in running, according to MLB.com, and he showed off both of those tools — and then some — Tuesday night.
“He earned the call-up,” Cubs manager David Ross told reporters this week. “Big outfield here, definitely can play some defense, steal a base. He’ll get some starts mixed in; he can definitely help us out.”
Crow-Armstrong went 0-for-4 at the plate, recording his first big league RBI with a groundout in the second inning.
The Cubs landed Crow-Armstrong at the 2021 trade deadline when the Mets swung a deal for infielder Javier Baez and pitcher Trevor Williams.
In 47 games for the Mets, Baez put up his best OPS (.886) while hitting nine homers, though part of his tenure was marred by a “thumbs-down” scandal.
Williams, for his part, proved to be a valuable arm for the Mets in both a spot starter role and long reliever in 2022 as the team won 101 games.
But Crow-Armstrong has shot up through the Cubs’ system in three years as the team’s top prospect.
During spring training, The Post’s Joel Sherman reported the Mets had regrets about the deal.
The Cubs’ skipper had praise for the outfielder in camp.
“He’s a free swinger,” Ross told The Post then. “He’s got to calm down as he ages, but man, does he have some special talents.”
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