2020 Draft Preview: Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF)

By / / Draft Coverage

NAME: Pete Crow-Armstrong
SCHOOL: Harvard-Westlake (Los Angeles, CA)
POSITION: OF
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’1″, 180 lbs
B/T: L/L
D.O.B.: March 25, 2002
PREVIOUSLY DRAFTED: N/A

Scouting Report

Pete Crow-Armstrong attended Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles, California, which is a school that has recently pumped out major league talent in Lucas Giolito, Max Fried, and Jack Flaherty. Crow-Armstrong, a Vanderbilt commit, also spent time with Team USA as a member of the 2019 18U National Team and 2018 18U National Team most recently.

In 2019, he slashed .364/.405/.606 with four doubles, three stolen bases, and one RBI in nine games as the primary leadoff hitter for Team USA. His performance in the field named him the 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup All-World Center Fielder.

In 2018, Crow-Armstrong also played in nine games for Team USA, where he slashed .375/.571/.542 and totaled nine hits, two stolen bases, and seven RBIs. Even though it’s a small sample size, he has shown the ability of his hit tool carrying over with a wood bat.

Scouting Grades

These scouting grades are from MLB Pipeline. Crow-Armstrong’s grades probably fluctuate across other publications.

HIT: 55
POWER: 40
RUN: 60
ARM: 55
FIELD: 60
OVERALL: 50

Prospect Overview and Future Outlook

Speed and defense are Pete Crow-Armstong’s best tools at the moment and that could continue to be the case at the professional level. He ran a 6.51 60-yard dash which places him in the 98th percentile among his class, according to Perfect Game. Additionally, his arm strength topped out at 93 mph in the outfield which placed him in the 95th percentile among his class, according to Perfect Game.

Crow-Armstrong is a center fielder and he’s excelled at that position thus far in his career. According to MLB Pipeline, his athleticism impresses and he might be the best defensive outfielder in the entire 2020 draft class. He has a thin frame, and scouts mention that there won’t be much room for him to bulk up, but he is the type of player that will add more strength as opposed to muscle mass while he grows and develops.

While there isn’t a lot of power in his game right now, there is potential for him to develop some power. Despite lacking in that department, Crow-Armstrong still flashes the ability to barrel the ball and make hard contact consistently. His exit velocity has topped out at 99 mph which again places him in the 98th percentile in his class, according to Perfect Game.

His swing is compact and he doesn’t have a lot of moving parts. In addition to his strength, he pairs that with quick hands which help him generate good bat speed. He utilizes a small leg kick, allowing him to maintain good balance as he drives through the ball. He already possesses well above average tools in the field, an above average hit tool, and there’s room for power, making him an intriguing prep prospect in this class.

Mock Draft Outcomes

MLB Pipeline has Pete Crow-Armstrong ranked as the 20th prospect in his class. His draft stock has fluctuated over the years and he was once considered to be a top-10 pick. Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline has Crow-Armstrong going right where he’s ranked, at 20th overall to the Milwaukee Brewers in his latest mock draft. With there being no high school season in 2020, it seems like college players are going to dominate the first round, and most notably, the top-10 since they are safer picks.

Jim Callis, in his most recent mock draft, has Crow-Armstrong going slightly earlier at 18 to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Additionally, Baseball America released an article where they examined some draft prospects whose stock was rising or falling as we get closer to the draft. They mentioned Pete Crow-Armstrong as a player whose stock was rising, mainly because his bat improved this spring and he looked like he was bouncing back after struggling last summer.

While teams could be sold on Crow-Armstrong’s potential and take him earlier than he’s projected, or look to under-slot him, it seems like the mid to late teens or early twenties is where he should hear his name called. With the MLB Draft being only five rounds this year, we might see teams look to under slot a player early, giving them the ability to allocate more money to the later rounds. Pete Crow-Armstrong could be a player that fits that description, however, there are other prep outfielders ahead of him that would be hard to pass up in Zac Veen, Austin Hendrick, and Robert Hassell.

Potential Fit with the White Sox

The White Sox have a lot of talent in the outfield with prospects like Luis Basabe, Micker Adolfo, Luis Gonzalez, and Luis Robert, who will be manning center field at Guaranteed Rate Field for many years. However, adding prep outfield talent like Crow-Armstrong would give the White Sox an elite defender and a left-handed bat with room for power. There’s been some struggles among the outfielders in the system as of late, so Crow-Armstrong could help bring more talent to the mix in case some of those struggles continue and some of the previously mentioned prospects don’t pan out.

Granted a lot can change between now and when Pete Crow-Armstrong would be moving through the higher levels of the minors, but the White Sox have a lot of right-handed bats in the big league lineup, so Crow-Armstrong would help balance that out. Pairing his hit tool with his glove and speed also gives the White Sox a potential two-way player that seems like he will find himself towards the top of a lineup in the future.

Photo Credit: Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News

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