Will the D-backs have an opportunity to draft him?

Opinions differ on which spot Pete Crow-Armstrong will be drafted.

• “He’s not a top half of the draft guy right now; I’m not sure he’d make my top 30 if I wrote one today [24 January 2020].” — Keith Law
• On 13 May, Keith Law’s mock draft had him drafted at number 14.
• “As of right now [14 May 2020], he’s seemed to have settled around the late teens, ranking 17th on BA’s Top 100 and 20th on MLB Pipeline.” — Michael McDermott

Baseball America’s fourth Mock draft had the Diamondbacks drafting him as their 18th pick. It is not unrealistic to think Pete Crow-Armstrong will be available for the D-backs to draft. That leads to the next question.

Why should the D-backs draft him?

• He is toolsy. He has potential to play in the Majors.

“Pete or PCA, whichever you choose to call him, is what scouts call a “toolsy player”. He has plus-plus speed, a plus-plus glove, plus-hit tool, and 55 Power tool. There’s not a single thing Pete can’t do, he was a highlight reel in CF at the 18U world championship overseas.” — Mason McRae

“PCA profiles well for the center field position thanks to a plus run tool (1.64/6.51 10/60) and an above-average arm. At the plate, he has a strong projected hit tool (55-60 range) which could make him a potential top of the order hitter.” — Michael McDermott

• His vision is superior. He has a higher ceiling for his development.

“Crow-Armstrong is a twitchy athlete with explosiveness to his game. He’s patient at the plate and owns a strong recognition of the strike zone, picking out his pitch to drive and shows an advanced ability to recognize spin.” — Prospect Live

• His mental skills are strong. He has a greater chance to achieve his ceiling. Let’s look at his mental skills in greater depth.

Mental strength

“I think [baseball] it’s so much more mental than it is physical, honestly. You have to be in good shape, just like any sport. Having a good mindset going into any game you play is huge…” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

He has mental strength to overcome struggles.

“I was proud of myself how I handled all my failures…so much time to succeed and fail at the same time.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

“But he struggled at times at the plate on the showcase circuit last summer, which concerned scouts.” — Dan Zielinski III

A strong indicator of mental strength is that after struggling in the showcases, he came back strong in spring baseball.

• His Harvard-Westlake School was 9-1 and “rated one of the best high school teams in the country.” — Peter Gammons
• “Crow-Armstrong was off to a great start this spring” — Keith Law

He has mentors.

“I personally use my resources….I have a lot of great people around me….They definitely helped me with the mental side of it.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

He has at least three mentors: Jack Flaherty, Lucas Giolito, and Bobby Witt Jr.

• “The best person I’ve talked to is Jack because I’ve known him for a while. He played in the same Little League as me. I was on the same Little League team as his brother. — Pete Crow-Armstrong
• “Jack has been huge because for as much as he’s helped me with baseball stuff, he’s also been just a really good friend. We’ve definitely gotten closer recently, I think. It’s nice to be pushed by the past people.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong
• “Having them [Jack Flaherty, Lucas Giolito] to try and surpass as a goal is really nice and then also having them to talk to. Lucas and Jack are always very nice to reach out to for advice and what not. It’s cool to have a goal and to have people like that to try and catch up to and hopefully pass up.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong
• “[Bobby Witt Jr.] is the best baseball player I’ve ever played with in my life. I’ve never seen anybody do things like that on the field. So, yeah, Bobby and I, we talk pretty often.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

He played for the United States national team.

A strong indicator of mental strength is his success at a higher level of play. His team won the silver medal. His success was confirmed by his comments.

“Crow-Armstrong played for Team USA in the U-18 [under 18 years old] Baseball World Cup in 2019, slashing .364/.405/.606 over nine contests.” —Prospect Live

“It’s made me more seasoned and has done well for me. I think I reached a point a year or so ago that I didn’t care what people thought about me because I know I play the game the right way. — Pete Crow-Armstrong

“So there’s no pressure there. I think that made me more confident. I think being on big stages and getting to play up with guys has only helped me and been really good for me.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

“The biggest thing is you guys all share like a pretty similar passion for it [baseball]. So it’s a different work ethic, different practice plan, so it’s a whole new vibe.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

His attitude helped him during the COVID shutdown.

“It’s a good time for everyone to buckle down and figure out how to grind when stuff doesn’t go like you thought it would. It’s a lot bigger than sports at this point. People’s health and safety should be a huge priority.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

“A lot of people are in my corner, sending me workouts…”— Pete Crow-Armstrong

He has leadership qualities.

He is a natural leader without needing to try to hard.

“He’s one of those outgoing, really popular young men whose energy is contagious.” — Rick Commons, headmaster Harvard Westlake School

“It’s cool [to be a leader as a high school senior]. Honestly, I don’t feel like a senior. It’s nice to have 4 years seeing different types of leadership.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

He has pride in how he plays.

He sets a great example by playing baseball the right way and taking pride in how he plays.

“My defense sets me apart from other high school outfielders. I just think I take more pride in it than most people. I think that’s a huge strength in my game.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

“I love attacking early in the count if possible, so I’m aggressive. But I also have to stick to my approach, stay disciplined, be able to react…” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

“I really pride myself on my two strike approach. You know, shortening it up, getting more able to control, going no-stride a little bit helps me see the ball a little linger. Keeping things simple for me is the biggest thing.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

Where does he see himself in 10 years?

“I definitely see myself in the big leagues. I don’t have a specific team. I see myself having a couple Gold Gloves and impacting an organization some sort of way.” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

“I’ve always trusted my genes and I’ve always thought that I’m going to grow into my power,” — Pete Crow-Armstrong

“I always just loved playing [baseball].” — Pete Crow-Armstrong