Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs centre fielder who joked that Babe Ruth might never have existed, finished the 2026 postseason batting .000 as Chicago was swept by San Diego in the National League Wild Card Series.
He went 0-for-7 with four strikeouts across two games. The Cubs lost the opener 8–0 and Game 2 by a 4–1 score, ending their season Wednesday at Petco Park.
Crow-Armstrong’s Ruth remarks came during his July 28 appearance on Kristin Cavallari’s Let’s Be Honest podcast, alongside teammate Carson Kelly. Asked for an unpopular opinion or conspiracy theory, he brought up “Babe Ruth never existed.”
He said he had heard former Mariners pitcher Tayler Saucedo discussing the theory on a podcast. When Cavallari asked whether he was doubling down, Crow-Armstrong answered, “No,” before discussing how baseball had changed.
“People might as well have been like underhanding the ball to that guy,” he said of Ruth’s era. The exchange included laughter. Ruth’s documented major-league career ran from 1914 through 1935 and included 714 home runs.
Crow-Armstrong’s own regular season made him an NL MVP favourite. He hit .280 with 45 home runs, 107 RBIs, 41 stolen bases and a .942 OPS. MLB’s September 28 season review credited him with a major-league-leading 10.6 FanGraphs WAR.
The Associated Press described him as the MVP favourite in September, after his home-run surge prompted repeated MVP chants at Wrigley Field. The award has not been announced. BBWAA voters submit their ballots before the postseason and consider only regular-season performances.
Against the Padres, Crow-Armstrong’s eight plate appearances produced one walk and no hits, runs or RBIs. He stole one base in Game 1, when he struck out three times. In Game 2, he struck out once, popped out, lined out and flew out.
The challenge that cost Chicago its first ABS review came immediately: Crow-Armstrong challenged a called third strike from Nick Pivetta on the game’s fifth pitch. The call was confirmed, leaving the Cubs with one challenge.
Kelly used that last challenge in the bottom of the third, seeking to change a ball call against Fernando Tatis Jr. into a strike. That call also stood. Chicago had no ABS challenges available for the rest of the game.
Each team starts with two ABS challenges and retains successful ones. The two unsuccessful reviews left Chicago unable to request another ball-strike check during its final six innings, including the ninth.
After the elimination, Crow-Armstrong said he was “pretty disappointed in myself,” adding, “but that’s for me to work on.”
“It is clear to see that I didn’t contribute,” he said in his postgame interview.
