Chicago had another reminder Wednesday night that Pete Crow-Armstrong’s breakout season has become the talk of the city. Before the Cubs met the Marlins at Wrigley Field, hometown wrestling star CM Punk took the mound for the ceremonial first pitch wearing a white Crow-Armstrong jersey.
| Player | 2026 chase entering Wednesday | Major League mark |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Crow-Armstrong | One stolen base short of 40 home runs and 40 steals | 10.6 WAR, Major League lead |
| 40-40 club | Would become the seventh AL/NL player to reach it in one season | 40 homers, 40 stolen bases |
Punk made no secret of whom he came to celebrate. Once on the rubber, he pointed both thumbs toward the Crow-Armstrong nameplate across his back, backing the Cubs center fielder as he continues to build a National League MVP case.
Another voice in the PCA chorus
It was not Punk’s first time handling first-pitch duties on the North Side. He threw one before a Cubs game last September, although that appearance came in a custom jersey bearing his own name.
This time, the jersey choice fit the moment. Crow-Armstrong entered Wednesday within one stolen base of joining one of baseball’s most exclusive single-season clubs, with the Cubs’ postseason approaching the following week.
The support has spread well beyond the clubhouse and the Wrigley bleachers. Earlier this month, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams wore a Crow-Armstrong jersey alongside Bulls players Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson. The three stood behind the Cubs’ third-base dugout and led chants of “P-C-A!”
For a Cubs club heading toward October, Crow-Armstrong has become more than the center fielder covering acres of grass and threatening pitchers on the bases. On a night when CM Punk took the mound in his name, he was the main event before the first pitch even reached home plate.
