RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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MVPete was on full display Monday night at an energetic Wrigley Field. Pete Crow-Armstrong carried the Cubs to thrilling back-and-forth win over the crosstown rival White Sox ( CHC 7, CWS 5 in 10 innings ) with a 4 for 5 night that included a leadoff homer, a walkoff homer, a double, a walk, and a stolen base. The walkoff homer clinched his second straight 30-30 season.
"It's been incredible to watch," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said about Crow-Armstrong's season (via MLB.com ). "... This might be his best game in the big leagues right here. It was an amazing game."
"I'm glad he's on my team," Cubs reliever Jacob Webb , who threw a scoreless top of the tenth inning, said about Crow-Armstrong (via MLB.com ). "I'm going to say Pete's my MVP. Definitely, I feel like he's earned it. I think he's that good of a player."
Crow-Armstrong is the sixth player in the Modern Era (since 1900) to hit a leadoff home run and a walkoff home run in the same game. The leadoff homer came on the first pitch of the first inning, too, so that's a homer on the first pitch the Cubs saw and then a homer on the game's last pitch. Here's the leadoff homer/walkoff homer club:
Last year, Crow-Armstrong slugged 31 home runs and stole 35 bases, and joined Sammy Sosa as the only 30-30 players in Cubs history. He's up to 30 homers and 31 stolen bases this year, and with 36 games remaining, he has a chance to go 40-40. The stolen bases should be there. Hitting 10 homers in 36 games will be a taller order, especially if teams start pitching around him, but not impossible.
Crow-Armstrong is the tenth player in baseball history with consecutive 30-30 seasons. He joins José Ramírez (2024-25), Bobby Witt Jr. (2023-24), Ryan Braun (2011-12), Alfonso Soriano (2002-03, 2005-06), Vladimir Guerrero Sr. (2001-02), Barry Bonds (1995-97), Ron Gant (1990-91), Bobby Bonds (1977-78), and Willie Mays (1956-57).
While Crow-Armstrong carried his Cubs to a win, Shohei Ohtani did the same for his Dodgers . Ohtani went 4 for 5 with two home runs in L.A.'s win over the Rockies ( LA 11, COL 5 ). With apologies to James Wood and others, the National League MVP race is a two-man race between Crow-Armstrong and Ohtani. Here is the MLB WAR leaderboard:
WAR is certainly not the be-all, end-all, but it does inform MVP voters, and Crow-Armstrong's sizeable lead may simply be too great to ignore come voting time. That is weeks away, though. For now, Crow-Armstrong is arguably the game's best player and definitely one of the most entertaining. He's electric at the plate, on the bases, and in the field.
Crow-Armstrong, 24, is hitting .281/.379/.550 with those 30 homers and 31 stolen bases on the season. He also leads all players, not just center fielders, with 23 outs above average defensively. Monday's win improved the Cubs to 73-53. They're 4 ½ games behind the Brewers in the NL Central and sit comfortably in the top wild-card spot.
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