After consecutive 83-79 seasons and missing out on the playoffs both times, the Cubs are beginning one of their most crucial winters in recent years. As the hot stove season kicks off in earnest, we analyze the Cubs depth chart at each position and how Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office might address the team’s needs.

Next up: Center field

DEPTH CHART

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong
2. Cody Bellinger
3. Mike Tauchman
4. Kevin Alcántara

ANALYSIS

A year ago at this time, Crow-Armstrong didn’t even have a big-league hit to his name and the jury was still out on what type of impact he would have on the Cubs.

He endured some struggles early in his 2024 campaign, but Crow-Armstrong showed off his tantalizing potential and there is plenty of reason for excitement in center field for years to come at Wrigley.

[BEARS COVERAGE: Rome Odunze, Caleb Williams have ‘big aspirations’ for time with Bears]

Despite a tough start (in which he was slashing .183/.234/.297 in his first 65 games), Crow-Armstrong still finished with 2.7 WAR. That’s thanks in large part to elite defense in center field and top-notch skills on the basepaths.

He also turned things around at the plate, posting an .807 OPS with 7 homers and 9 stolen bases over his final 57 games.

[MORE: Projecting the 2025 Cubs roster]

If Crow-Armstrong was able to put up a nearly 3-WAR season in only 123 games and with offense that was overall well below league average, imagine what he could do over a full season of production at the plate.

Crow-Armstrong put up a full reel of highlights throughout 2024, including an inside-the-park home run. But he tabbed his game-saving catch in L.A. as his favorite play of the season.

“Those are the plays that give you chills when you think about it,” he said in an interview with Cole Wright on Cubs 360. “Getting to execute those plays, I live for that.”

Behind Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs have Bellinger back in town after he chose not to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract.

Bellinger will most likey play right field but he’s a proven center fielder and if Crow-Armstrong goes down with injury, the 2019 NL MVP is available as a pretty nice backup option.

“He’s so good for our clubhouse,” Crow-Armstrong said of Bellinger. “He knows that we wanted him back. I think the relationships he’s built with a lot of us here have been really good. He’s just important for our clubhouse.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

“[I] couldn’t be more excited about him being a center fielder going forward,” Jed Hoyer said.

The Cubs are in a fantastic spot with Crow-Armstrong, who is under team control through at least the 2029 campaign.

The sky is the limit with the 22-year-old former top prospect.

[WATCH: Exclusive interview with Pete Crow-Armstrong on offseason, Bellinger’s return to Cubs and more]

Multiple Gold Gloves? That’s certainly possible – maybe even likely given what we’ve seen from his defense so far.

All-Star appearances? Possibly.

A 20-40 campaign? Why not? He stole 27 bases in just 410 plate appearances in 2024 and 7 of his 10 homers came over the final 6 weeks of the season.

It would surprise no one if he led the 2025 Cubs in WAR, but he will have to prove he can carry over the late production at the plate and sustain it over the course of a full season.

BOTTOM LINE

There is an abundance of buzz surrounding Crow-Armstrong’s future and it’s warranted. He will enter the year as arguably the most exciting player on this roster with potentially elite upside.

State of the Cubs series
Catcher
First base
Second base
Third base
Shortstop
Left field
Center field
Right field: Nov. 22
DH: Nov. 25
Starting rotation: Nov. 26
Bullpen: Nov. 27