Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 6 RBI Night that feel like they were scripted by Hollywood. Friday, May 23, 2025, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati was one of those nights — and Pete Crow-Armstrong was the star.
The young Chicago Cubs center fielder delivered a performance that not only turned heads but rewrote parts of the franchise’s history books. With a grand slam in the seventh inning, Crow-Armstrong became the first Cub since RBIs became an official stat in 1920 to notch two games with at least six RBIs in a single calendar month.
Let’s break down what made this night so special.
From Leadoff to Cleanup: Producing No Matter Where He Hits
Craig Counsell has experimented with Crow-Armstrong’s spot in the lineup all season long — and it’s paying off. Whether batting first or cleanup, the 23-year-old continues to deliver clutch hits when it matters most.
Just days earlier, on May 16, he drove in six runs while hitting leadoff in a dominant win over the White Sox. Then, under the Friday night lights in Cincinnati, he did it again — this time batting fourth.
“It’s real cool,” Crow-Armstrong said after the game. “I’m very lucky to be able to move around throughout this lineup and have a lot of opportunities in front of me.”
The Grand Slam That Changed Everything
Down 6-4 with two outs in the top of the seventh, the Cubs needed a spark. Enter Crow-Armstrong.
Facing Tony Santillan’s elevated slider, he launched a towering drive down the right-field line. For a moment, it looked like it might hook foul — but then it kissed the foul pole for a grand slam.
As he rounded the bases, his teammates swarmed him at home plate. It was his fourth career multi-homer game, and second this season.
“I thought it was going foul, and then it didn’t,” he said with a smile. “It’s nice to be able to enjoy those moments.”
Making History the Hard Way
According to Sportradar, this was just the 36th time in MLB history that a player recorded two six-RBI games in the same month. The last to do it before Crow-Armstrong was Derek Dietrich in 2019.
But what makes PCA’s feat even more impressive?
He’s doing it all while putting up elite numbers across the board:
Tied for 7th in MLB with 14 home runs
All 14 have come in the last 34 games
Third in the majors with 45 RBIs
Tied for sixth with 14 stolen bases
That combination of power and speed puts him in rare company. In fact, he’s just the third big-leaguer since 1920 to hit at least 14 homers, steal 14 bases, and drive in 45 runs through the first 51 games of a season.
What the Manager Says
Cubs skipper Craig Counsell wasn’t surprised by what he saw Friday night.
“There’s no question that Pete’s kind of doing some things very uniquely right,” Counsell said. “And he does some things that other guys can’t do. And that’s so much fun to watch.”
Fans in Wrigley Field and beyond are starting to chant his name every time he steps up to the plate. And if he keeps playing like this, that chorus will only grow louder.
Final Thoughts: A Star Is Born
Pete Crow-Armstrong isn’t just having a breakout season — he’s becoming a household name.
His 6-RBI night against the Reds was more than just a box score highlight. It was a defining moment in his young career — and one that Cubs fans won’t soon forget.
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