Pete Crow-Armstrong just hit a milestone that only six other players in MLB history can claim. On Thursday afternoon, the guy swiped his 40th base of the season. Weeks after blasting his 40th career homer, he is now officially the seventh member of the exclusive 40-40 club. This isn’t just some good season, folks, this is a historic run.
The Seventh Member of the Most Exclusive Club
You heard that right: 40 dingers, 40 bags. As of now, PCA is sitting on 45 home runs and those 40 steals. When you join the 40-40 club, you’re in some absolutely legendary company. We’re talking about names like Jose Canseco from way back in 1988, Barry Bonds in 1996, Alex Rodriguez in 1998, Alfonso Soriano in 2006, and more recently, Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023, and Shohei Ohtani in 2024. Canseco, Acuña, and Ohtani all snagged league MVP awards in their 40-40 seasons. And honestly, it looks like Crow-Armstrong is headed straight for that NL MVP trophy. With Ohtani sidelined by injury and off the mound, then landing on the IL, the path is wide open for PCA to grab the first Cubs NL MVP since Kris Bryant did it in 2016. My gut says it’s going to be a unanimous win, too.
Beyond the Club: MVP Numbers and Franchise History
But look, this isn’t just an MVP-caliber season. We’re witnessing one of the greatest individual seasons in Cubs franchise history. Crow-Armstrong is the first Cub *ever* to hit the 40-40 mark. Before him, only Sammy Sosa had two 30-30 seasons for the franchise. What’s wild is PCA has now done 30-30 twice in a row, and the dude is only 24 years old!
Let’s talk numbers, because they tell the real story. Crow-Armstrong is hitting .280/.374/.577, which gives him a ridiculous 157 OPS+. He’s piled up 31 doubles, eight triples, those 45 homers, 107 RBI, 119 runs, and his 40 steals. That’s insane production. He leads all of MLB in runs, home runs, total bases, and WAR, sitting at a massive 9.8. He’s also at the top of the National League in slugging, OPS, and OPS+.
And if you want to talk about how historic this is for the Cubs, check out the WAR rankings. Baseball Reference has him at 9.8 WAR, which ties him for fourth among Cubs position players all time, right there with Ron Santo from 1967. Rogers Hornsby’s 1929 season is at 10.6, and Sammy Sosa’s 2001 was 10.3. But FanGraphs has PCA even higher at 10.6 WAR, putting him second only to Hornsby’s 1929 season. To give you some context, 5.0 WAR is All-Star level, and 8.0 WAR is MVP-caliber. Pete Crow-Armstrong is blowing past those benchmarks.
So, what’s next? This isn’t just a breakout star, this is an athlete defining an era. The guy is still going at 24 years old. Keep your eyes peeled, because PCA is making history every time he steps onto the field, and we’re all here to watch what he does next.
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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