CHICAGO - In a stunning display of skill, Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a home run on the furthest pitch from the strike zone this MLB season. The pitch, a high fastball from Pittsburgh Pirates starter Andrew Heaney, measured 8.1 inches above the edge of the strike zone, marking it as the most extreme out-of-zone homer of the year.

Crow-Armstrong's two-run blast in the fourth inning broke a scoreless tie and contributed to the Cubs' 3-2 win. "I'm just committing to being on time for it," Crow-Armstrong said post-game. "He has a good heater in a low slot. It presents itself with a lot of carry. I'm already thinking on top. Good to execute on a pitch like that."

This home run was Crow-Armstrong's 18th of the season, all achieved in the last two months. Known for his ability to hit bad balls, he has successfully homered on pitches both above and below the strike zone. "What you've seen in 30 years of baseball says it's hard to hit balls for home runs," Cubs manager Craig Counsell remarked. "He's proving me wrong."

In addition to his high fastball homer off Heaney, Crow-Armstrong has two of the five home runs hit this season on pitches at least three inches below the zone, including one that was 5.8 inches below in early May. "Sometimes he hits them off the ground and sometimes he hits them over his head," Cubs reliever Ryan Pressly said. "I don't even know how to pitch Pete, to be honest with you."

Crow-Armstrong is making a strong case for the All-Star game in his second full MLB season. Alongside his 18 home runs, he has 21 stolen bases and plays gold glove caliber defense for the first-place Cubs. This combination of offense and defense has propelled him to the top of the National League in fWAR.

Teammate Seiya Suzuki, who also homered on Thursday, is tied with Crow-Armstrong for second in the NL in RBI. The two have been competing for the team lead in both categories, creating a fun rivalry. "What I'm doing is just contributing to the bigger picture," Crow-Armstrong stated. "I'm still just trying to play my part because that's what's worked really well for us. On any given day I don't have to be the guy. That's the coolest thing ever."