Pete Crow-Armstrong joins the 40-40 club and strengthens his MVP bid
Por Carlos Rodríguez ·
Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to have a memorable season with the Chicago Cubs. The center fielder reached 40 stolen bases and became just the seventh player in Major League Baseball history to record at least 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season. Known as PCA, Pete Crow-Armstrong achieved the feat on Thursday, September 24, at Wrigley Field during the Cubs’ game against the Miami Marlins. The American stole second base in the first inning to reach 40 stolen bases, after starting the day with 45 home runs.
This achievement adds another point in his favor as a candidate for the National League MVP award, for which Shohei Ohtani is also among the leading contenders. However, the winner has not yet been announced, so it would be incorrect to say that Crow-Armstrong is guaranteed to win the award. The vote is conducted by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).
Crow-Armstrong Has a Historic Season
At 24 years old, Pete Crow-Armstrong entered Thursday’s game with 45 home runs.
That figure had him tied with Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead, in addition to 39 stolen bases.
With his steal against Miami, he finally reached the long-awaited 40-40 mark.
His impact goes far beyond just power.
After the game on September 24, his batting average stood at .280.
That was accompanied by an on-base percentage of .373 and a slugging percentage of .575, for an OPS of .948.
The feat also carries enormous historical significance.
Before PCA, only six players had achieved a 40-40 season:
José Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodríguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006), Ronald Acuña Jr. (2023), and Shohei Ohtani (2024).
A club reserved for legends
José Canseco was the first to join this exclusive group with Oakland in 1988.
Bonds joined the club eight years later with San Francisco, and Rodríguez did so with Seattle in 1998. Soriano reached the milestone in 2006.
It took 17 years before Acuña achieved it with Atlanta in 2023.
A year later, Ohtani took the concept even further in his first season with the Dodgers:
Not only did he join the 40-40 club, but he also became the first player ever to join the 50-50 club.
Now Pete Crow-Armstrong has earned a spot on that exclusive list, just as the Cubs are gearing up for October.
His combination of power, speed, and defense has made him one of the standout players of the 2026 season.
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