MMO Exclusive: Mets’ First Rounder, Pete Crow-Armstrong

With the 19th pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the New York Mets selected left-handed-hitting center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong from Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, California.

Crow-Armstrong, 18, watched the Draft at his best friend’s house, with his mom sitting to his right and his dad on the left as friends and family stood around and cheered as his name was announced by commissioner Rob Manfred.

This was a day Crow-Armstrong had been waiting for his entire life, with all the hard work and countless hours of training and playing in elite competitions such as Team USA in their 12U, 15U and 18U teams coming to fruition.

A big smile crossed Crow-Armstrong’s face before he dropped his head in his hands after hearing his name called to a place he can’t speak glowingly enough about.

No, Crow-Armstrong has never been to New York City, he’s only ever visited upstate New York. But his confidence in being able to handle the largest media market in the country and playing on the grandest of stages doesn’t faze this heralded prospect.

“I know I’m going to love the city,” Crow-Armstrong tells me emphatically, “and I think I’m going to thrive there.”

That type of confidence comes from a player who’s had terrific success at the amateur level while also getting rave reviews for his attitude and makeup. Sean Casey managed Crow-Armstrong in the Under Armor All-Star Game at Wrigley Field in 2019, and heaped massive praise towards Crow-Armstrong’s play while calling his mental side of the game “advanced.”

At six-foot-one and 180 pounds, Crow-Armstrong still has room to fill out, which means added power to go along with his plus speed and glove, in addition to his strong recognition of the strike zone. In 42 at-bats this spring, Crow-Armstrong was hitting .514 while striking out only once before the season was shut down due to COVID-19.

Crow-Armstrong is one of a select few players to have participated on all of USA Baseball’s youth national teams, playing on the 12U National Team in 2014, the 15U National Team in 2017 and the 18U National Team in both 2018 and 2019. He won gold medals with Team USA as a member of the ’17 15U National Team that won gold at the COPABE “AA” Pan American Championship, and the ’18 18U National Team that claimed the title at the COPABE “AAA” Pan American Championships. He owns a lifetime batting average of .365 with Team USA.

The hype is certainly warranted for a player that’s not only viewed as a speedy, top of the order-type bat, but is also known for his superb defense in the outfield. Mets vice president of amateur scouting Tommy Tanous called him a “left-handed-hitting magician in center field,” and that’s something Crow-Armstrong takes very seriously when evaluating his overall game.

Even before he was born in 2002, Crow-Armstrong already had roots in baseball. His mother, Ashley Crow, played Billy Heywood’s mother Jenny in the 1994 family film Little Big League. His father, Matthew John Armstrong, was also an actor, appearing in such shows such as American Horror Story, Heroes, and The Young and the Restless. According to Justin Toscano of The Record/NorthJersey.com, both parents are now teachers, with Matt teaching English at Sierra Canyon, while Ashley privately coaches actors.

Coming from Harvard-Westlake High School, which has seen a trio of recent first-round picks in Max Fried (2012), Lucas Giolito (2012) and Jack Flaherty (2014), Crow-Armstrong hopes he can follow in their footsteps, just on the position player front.

I had the privilege of speaking with Crow-Armstrong where we discussed his interest in Buddhism, playing for Team USA and his thoughts on getting drafted by the Mets.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Crow-Armstrong: My favorite player of all time is Ken Griffey Jr. I don’t remember watching all that much of him when I was a kid, but I don’t know how you don’t love the guy, first of all. And second, once I did really get a good grip on who he was, I kind of wanted to get to know him as best I could, whether that was through YouTube, the Internet, or having my dad talk to me and watching his highlights with me.

I’m a Cubs fan and I remember watching Carlos Zambrano all the time, as crazy as he was. I wouldn’t call him a role model or someone I looked up to, but he was somebody that I remember seeing a lot of. I was a huge Alfonso Soriano fan, I thought he was great. I liked Johnny Damon a lot when I was growing up; I liked a lot of guys.

I would say the players I remember really liking were Soriano, Damon, Derek Jeter and then Griffey being my all-time favorite. Guys that I look up to now are Javy Báez and Ronald Acuña Jr.

MMO: Who introduced you to the game?

Crow-Armstrong: Both of my parents. They both played a big part in my love for baseball. My mom was just as athletic as my dad and they both would stay in the backyard with me until we literally couldn’t see anymore. They’d let me dive all over the place and kind of go crazy and just be a kid. Both of them really got me into the game.

MMO: I’m curious, given that both of your parents are actors, did you ever think about getting into that profession yourself?

Crow-Armstrong: Nope! [Laughs.] No, not interested at all. They never wanted me to be either, I don’t think they wanted me to get into that field.

MMO: In Molly Knight’s article in The Athletic, she writes how you read Thich Nhat Hanh and you call him the most influential thinker in your life besides your parents. Can you talk a bit about how you initially started reading Hanh’s work, and some of the biggest takeaways you’ve gotten from it?

Crow-Armstrong: My dad has the books and he grew up loosely religious; he grew up Catholic, but he didn’t really take that with him. And that’s kind of the same with my mom. They never really raised me on one religion and as I got older and more mature, I started seeing a ton of different ones that I just liked.

I didn’t need to follow one to appreciate them all. I ended up taking a liking to Buddhism when we learned about it in eighth grade in history and since then I’ve always been pretty interested. I really just started reading it and the biggest things that I took away were things that I can apply to baseball as well as just walking around every day. Everybody should read the book.

MMO: Knight specifically mentioned how you learned a lot about breathing and mindfulness from Hanh.

Crow-Armstrong: Yeah, definitely. The breathing thing has been not only in baseball but it’s been the biggest thing for me in bringing my heart rate down and it helps me see things clearly, think clearly. It’s the best thing I’ve picked up for sure.

MMO: At what point during your development did you start to think that perhaps baseball could be a career to seriously pursue?

Crow-Armstrong: People ask me that question and I want to give them an answer, but I don’t really know. I always thought I could do it, but I think it’s hard to answer that because I haven’t done anything yet. I’m still working my way up; this is just another step in the process.

I think I always knew that I could do it, I always knew I’d get to the point where I’d have the opportunity to try. But I think it really came full circle in the summer going into my junior year was when I was like, I think I have a real chance to get picked pretty high.

MMO: Can you talk about your experiences playing for USA Baseball at every level on their 12U, 15U, & 18U teams?

Crow-Armstrong: Besides my high school games and my high school coaches, the USA coaches and those teams were the most important baseball games I played in my high school career, and even before that with the 12U. The 12 and 15 teams were fun, and once you get to 18 that’s when it’s like, this is real-life baseball and this is as good as it’s going to get until you play in college or the pros.

Being able to play with guys like Bobby Witt Jr., CJ Abrams, Brennan Malone, Corbin Carroll, dudes who I’m now friends with who I was kind of looking up to going into that summer. Getting to play with and learn from them on Team USA was huge for me.

I think that no matter what age level you’re on, whether it’s 12 or 15, you learn something from someone whether that’s a teammate, coach, or an opposing teammate. It’s really cool to get to play against kids from different backgrounds than you and get to see what their life is like and why they want to win so bad versus why we want to win so bad. Or why they do this on the field and why we do that on the field.

Every USA experience was so eye-opening and I’m so fortunate to have done them. Those were the best four different teams I played on.

MMO: You attended Harvard-Westlake High School which has recently seen a trio of talented players drafted in the first round in Jack Flaherty, Max Fried and Lucas Giolito. Did you or do you have any interactions or relationships with those guys?

Crow-Armstrong: Yeah, I played with Jack’s brother Grady [in Little League], and I also played with him in high school. All three of those guys are super kind and they’re all very generous with their time when they come back to the field. They’re all very willing to talk to people and help them out and give advice.

I think that’s especially cool as an aspiring draft prospect like I was recently to have those guys who made it and are doing it right now. To see how they go about their offseasons and to see how they choose to try and inspire guys like me and how I can continue that and pay it forward when I’m in their position.

Those are three of the most inspiring people that I get to look up to just because they came from where I came from. They’re not the same position as me, which is a fun thing to have just because now I get to try and be the first position player to make it in a while. They’ve done a lot for Harvard-Westlake baseball and it’s nice that I have something to shoot for and hopefully follow in their footsteps.

MMO: You’re a hitter that has terrific plate discipline and a strong recognition of the strike zone. Can you talk a bit about your development as a hitter over the last few years?

Crow-Armstrong: I think that I’ve always been able to go to every part of the field with the ball, but honestly, the last couple of years I really kind of honed in on having a really good understanding for the strike zone, at least in high school. And obviously, just like how it’s going to change at every level, that’s going to keep developing. I think I set myself up well with the improvements I made offensively for what comes next.

I would say the biggest adjustment was being a more patient hitter. I love to attack and be aggressive but I think I started finding more success when I was able to work the count or I just knew exactly what I wanted and I was really committed. And then this year I started showing a lot more power, so I know that’s coming and as I grow and fill out naturally it’ll also come.

I’m super excited to see what the next couple of years has in store for me based on the last couple of years.

MMO: With your senior season cut short due to COVID-19, how did you continue to train?

Crow-Armstrong: It started with my dad and me just hitting in my family friend’s backyard. They have a cage back there and we beat that cage up pretty nice for a good month and a half, maybe two months.

Once things started slowly opening up, I got to social distance at this place called the Sports Academy in Manhattan Beach. There I got to start hitting live off of guys and got to start working out. My trainer is great, so I’m at a really good spot right there. That was my quarantine progressions with working out and hitting and throwing.

MMO: Your defense is one of your calling cards & a skill that set you apart in the draft. Tommy Tanous called you a “left-handed magician in center,” and praised how you would show your defensive skills off pregame. Can you talk about your defense and how you’ve become such a plus defender in center?

Crow-Armstrong: I just love it and more than a lot of other people do, I think. When you’re a younger baseball player you love to hit and that’s what you want to do. Hitting home runs and offense is kind of your priority. That’s the cool thing about baseball, defense isn’t always considered flashy or cool, the hitting part is.

I really took that stigma and ran with it just because I always loved playing defense; I always loved roaming the outfield and running free and stuff like that. I think that set me apart initially, plus the work I put in defensively. It’s not an insane number of hours more than offense or anything like that, I think I just take more pride in my work defensively than the next person. That’s no shade to anybody, that’s just because I love it so much.

I remember I was watching Ichiro take batting practice and shag during BP when I was probably 10-years-old in Chicago when he was with the Mariners. My dad and I went to a White Sox game and I remember watching him play around and doing over the head, behind the back and through the legs.

It just so happened that my high school coach loved the whole kinesthetic drill which is like letting the ball lead your line of sight where you just have to feel for it and put your glove where you think it’s going to be. It just so happened that you can kind of screw around and have fun but it’s actually really good work at the same time.

I think if more people realize that then they’d have the kind of fun that I have with playing defense.

MMO: Talk to me about the day of the Draft. What was that day like for you and what were your emotions watching it all unfold?

Crow-Armstrong: I had the camera in my house but we actually had the draft party at my buddy’s house, my best friend Sam Hliboki, he’s a reliever at Vanderbilt. He was their best reliever and he didn’t give up a run in 15.2 innings this year as a young freshman.

He hosted it and I had to get there at 11-11:30 to set up the camera, and the camera was on from 12 to 4 and there was a lot going on that day. It was a little overwhelming at first, but then you just sit down for the Draft and at that point it’s all happening from there so you can’t do anything about it.

I would definitely say I was nervous; I don’t get really nervous normally in those situations, but I was sweating a little bit. And it was the biggest relief of my life when I heard my name called.

But it was a great time and I got to see some people that I haven’t seen in months because of quarantine. This was the first time I had seen a lot of people in that long and I had my people there that I love that I got to celebrate with and that’s really because it was just as much of their accomplishment as it was mine. I mean, I wanted them to feel like they got picked too.

It was a great day, it started off stressful but ended better than I ever could’ve expected. Being able to go to New York now, that’s what you dream of. I couldn’t have even thought that up and I just want to win with the New York Mets. I want to get up there and start winning with them.

MMO: What was the scouting process like? Were the Mets a team that was consistently keeping tabs on you?

Crow-Armstrong: Yeah, I think if you’re a guy that’s projected in a similar position then most teams are going to be talking to you. I actually don’t think we had an area scout at the time when I was doing my winter meetings, so I didn’t hear from them until kind of recently honestly.

But at the end of the day who cares? I kind of knew going in that they were a possibility, but I chose to take the mindset that you have no idea until you actually know. Anything can happen so until you’re picked you have no clue what’s going to go down.

I knew I could’ve gotten picked by them and I knew I could’ve gotten picked by a few more teams. But again, if I could do it all over again, I would get picked by the Mets.

MMO: Have you ever been to New York before?

Crow-Armstrong: I have but not to the city, I’ve only been upstate. It’s crazy, my mom lived there for 14 years and I’ve never been. So that’s what I’m excited about!

I know I’m going to love the city, and I think I’m going to thrive there. I think it’s my kind of city, Queens is incredibly diverse and lively. New York City is obviously an incredibly fun and jumping place. The fans are crazy loyal, and I can’t wait to play in front of them one day.

I want to make the Mets the talk of the town, I want us to be who everybody loves. I want to get to New York as fast as I possibly can.

MMO: Have you started any negotiations with the Mets as of yet? *(Question was asked on June 18th)*

Crow-Armstrong: No, we haven’t. I don’t have an answer for you as to why, but no we have not. Some guys have, some guys haven’t; it’s all such a long process.

I’ve kept in contact with Brodie and Marc [Tramuta] and other people and I’m just excited for that day to come so I can officially start. We have a lot of time on our hands right now so I’m not thinking about that too much until it actually happens.

MMO: With the increased usage of analytics in the sport, I’m curious if you’re a player the utilizes any of that data, and if so, how do you incorporate it into your game?

Crow-Armstrong: I’m not your biggest data user. I’ve used it before for sure, but I like to simplify things as best as I possibly can. At the end of the day, if you’re going to use all the data you still have to hit the ball, so I just think: why not start there and stay there.

I’m completely open to using data, I’ve used it before and I love it. It’s a really cool advancement but I haven’t been a player that’s used it a bunch up to this point, but again, I think it can be incredibly useful so I’m all for it.

MMO: Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me, Pete. Congratulations again on the Draft!

Crow-Armstrong: Thank you. Thanks for taking the time.

Follow Pete Crow-Armstrong on Twitter, @petecrowarm