MESA, Ariz. — For nearly his entire baseball life, Pete Crow-Armstrong was fully absorbed in traditional baseball training, from taking batting practice, running sprints and lifting free weights in a no-frills setting.
“I like to get dirty,” Crow-Armstrong said Friday, shortly before he was optioned to the minor leagues for more seasoning following an impressive showing in his first majorleague spring training.
“That’s who I am as a baseball player. I think that’s kind of my personality. I like to get [bleeping] down and grind.”
But in an effort to become a more well-rounded player and not just a defensive whiz pegged to excel exclusively against right-handed pitchers, the 6-foot, 194-pound Crow-Armstrong, 20, warmed to the idea of implementing technology into his preparation — often in his hotel room — and simulating an at-bat against formidable left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman.
Crow-Armstrong said an invitation by his agents led to a partnership with WIN Reality, a virtual-reality training company for baseball and softball players.
The company produces simulations of around 600 pitchers and their pitches, allowing Crow-Armstrong and other participants to visualize whom they might be facing or the repertoire of pitches they could be seeing.
“I’m not one to spend a lot of time on my phone or anything like that,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’m not a big technology guy, but I’ll make the exception.”
Crow-Armstrong started to use the technology last season at Class-A Myrtle Beach, where he quickly validated the hype forecasted for him following his acquisition for Gold Glove slugger Javy Baez at the July 2021 trade deadline.
Crow-Armstrong, recovering from surgery to repair a torn right labrum, made an instant impact by batting .354 with a 1.000 OPS in 158 at-bats at Myrtle Beach and earning a midseason promotion to high Class-A South Bend.
More impressive was that the left-handed hitting Crow-Armstrong batted .591 (13-for-22) with two home runs against left-handers in the Carolina League.
Many of the subscribers wear goggles for drills that address pitch tracking, strike-zone recognition and timing.
There aren’t many minor-league pitchers with the caliber of pitches like Chapman or Amir Garrett, but Crow-Armstrong likes a challenge.
“Especially in the minors, a guy might not be the same dude as you watched on video, even two days ago,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I usually just try to compete in there. That’s what it’s great for. You can decide what you’re going to do. It’s nice to have that freedom to pick for yourself.”
Crow-Armstrong said fellow top prospects Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones of the Yankees use the product, which was founded by former minor-league player and current CEO Chris O’Dowd.
“I’m shocked guys don’t [use technology] more often,” Cubs President Jed Hoyer said. “You can’t take endless swings, but you can do it endlessly in your room at night. I’m surprised it hasn’t caught on more.”
Crow-Armstrong’s Gold Glove-caliber defense at least raises the possibility of a late-season promotion to the majors. But he’ll have to continue to improve at the plate, starting in April likely at Double-A Tennessee.
Crow-Armstrong batted .287 with an .831 OPS in 265 at-bats at South Bend, but his walk rate sank to 1.2 and his strikeout rate climbed from 18% at Myrtle Beach to 24% at South Bend.
But Crow-Armstrong relishes the opportunity to improve, even in front of a tablet or his phone, against pitchers such as Chapman.
“It’s nice when things become easier for you,” Crow-Armstrong said. “[WIN Reality] definitely does that. But if you practice in the conditions that aren’t the kindest to you, you’re better off for it.”
