If Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong puts the ball in play, opposing defenders need to get an out or make sure the ball gets back to the infield quickly. Otherwise, the speedster might just score.
That’s what happened in Friday’s 6-3 win over the Miami Marlins. Crow-Armstrong led off the third inning and pulled a first-pitch fastball to deep right field. Marlins right fielder Jesús Sánchez ran from the right-center gap and reached out for the ball, but missed it.
The ball bounced off the warning track, ricocheted off the wall and caromed back onto the field, rolling toward center field. And Crow-Armstrong was off to the races while Sánchez relayed the ball back into the infield.
By the time the cutoff man received the throw, Crow-Armstrong was already around third base. And as a throw was made from short right field to home plate, the second-year major leaguer was already sliding into a score. Catcher Nick Fortes had no chance to make a tag. Crow-Armstrong had an inside-the-park home run and rounded the bases in 14 seconds.
According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, Crow-Armstrong went from home to home in 14.08 seconds, to be exact. That’s the fastest a runner has rounded the bases this season and the fastest a Cubs player has gone from home to home since Statcast began tracking player movements and abilities in 2015.
Maybe Tyreek Hill should be challenging Crow-Armstrong to a race instead of Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles. Or if millions of dollars are at stake, the Cubs outfielder might want to consider proposing a competition with Lyles.
Amazingly, Crow-Armstrong’s streak around the bases was the third-fastest in MLB since Statcast began tracking such data, according to Langs. Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton rounded the bases in 13.85 seconds on Aug. 18, 2017. Buxton also outran Crow-Armstrong on Oct. 2, 2016, going home to home in 14.05 seconds.
Setting up a dash among multiple players around the bases would probably be a logistical nightmare. But wouldn’t that be a fascinating competition to see during MLB All-Star Weekend?
