Pete Crow-Armstrong just pulled off a performance on Monday night against the White Sox that was straight out of a video game, smashing both a leadoff home run and a walkoff home run to seal a wild 7-5, 10-inning win for the Cubs. This wasn’t just some big night at the plate; that walkoff blast clinched his second straight 30-30 season, putting his MVP resume on full blast.
History in the Making: Two Homers and Back-to-Back 30-30 Seasons
Seriously, what Crow-Armstrong did was insane. Going 4 for 5 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base, he was electric all night long. Cubs manager Craig Counsell didn’t hold back, calling it “incredible to watch” and saying, “This might be his best game in the big leagues right here. It was an amazing game.” Even reliever Jacob Webb, who locked down the tenth inning, was pumped, adding, “I’m glad he’s on my team. 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.”
And the history? Forget about it. He became only the sixth player in the Modern Era, since 1900, to hit a leadoff homer and a walkoff homer in the same game. And get this, the leadoff shot was on the *very first pitch* of the game. Talk about starting and finishing with a bang! His 30 homers and 31 stolen bases this year, combined with last season’s 31 homers and 35 stolen bases, means he’s now joined Sammy Sosa as the only Cubs with multiple 30-30 seasons. He’s also the tenth player in baseball history to go back-to-back with 30-30 campaigns, putting him in elite company with guys like José Ramírez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Barry Bonds.
The MVP Race Is Officially a Two-Man Show
With 36 games still on the schedule, Crow-Armstrong is not just chasing an MVP, he’s got a shot at 40-40. Getting ten more homers will be tough, especially with teams probably starting to pitch around him more, but the stolen bases should absolutely be there. This guy’s playing on another level.
While PCA was busy making history, Shohei Ohtani was doing his own thing, going 4 for 5 with two homers in the Dodgers’ 11-5 win over the Rockies. But make no mistake, as much as we appreciate other great players out there, the National League MVP race is now a straight-up two-man battle between Crow-Armstrong and Ohtani. Just look at the WAR leaderboard right now: Pete Crow-Armstrong is sitting pretty at 8.2 WAR, with Ohtani behind him at 7.0 WAR. That’s a sizeable lead, and you know MVP voters are taking notes.
Crow-Armstrong just delivered a performance for the ages and solidified his spot at the top of the MVP conversation. With the season hitting its final stretch, this race is going to be wild, and you won’t want to miss a single at-bat from this dude.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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