Last Updated on August 18, 2026 by Matt Musico
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2025. While he became the second player in franchise history to record a 30-30 season, his production tailed off following the All-Star Game.
His 2026 season got off to a similarly slow start (.669 OPS in March/April, .762 OPS in May), but the 24-year-old caught fire in June and literally hasn’t stopped since. He’s been so good that there’s legitimate talk about him potentially derailing Shohei Ohtani’s quest for a third straight National League MVP Award.
But before we find out if he can make that happen or not, he put together a truly memorable and historic performance at Wrigley Field against the Chicago White Sox on Monday.
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Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Historic Performance
It seemed like PCA did a little bit of everything at the dish on August 17. He went 4-for-5 with two home runs, one double, three RBI, two runs scored, a walk, a strikeout, and a stolen base.
Thanks to what he accomplished in 2025, he was already the first Cubs player not named Sammy Sosa to join the 30-30 club. However, this performance helped him become the first player in franchise history to join the club in consecutive seasons.
That’s quite noteworthy, but it’s not the kind of history that caught my eye. The timing of his homers is what made my bat signal go off.
He got things started for the Cubs in the bottom of the first inning with this leadoff home run:
First pitch swinging for PCA and he has his 29th home run of the season! pic.twitter.com/FfSx2e2dMC
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 18, 2026
And then in the bottom of the 10th, he got Wrigley rocking after slugging a walk-off homer:
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG
WALK-OFF HOME RUN FOR 30/30 🤯 pic.twitter.com/TSUSXmb8vi
— MLB (@MLB) August 18, 2026
The timing is important because he’s just the sixth player in MLB history to lead a game off and end the same contest with a tater.
Who Else Is In This Exclusive Club?
This is the first time we’ve seen someone join this club in nearly two decades. It was last done during the 2010 season.
Here’s a quick look at the players in the club and when they joined:
- Vic Power, Kansas City Athletics: May 7, 1957 (That’s an elite baseball name, if we’re being honest)
- Darin Erstad, Anaheim Angels: June 25, 2000
- Reed Johnson, Toronto Blue Jays: June 15, 2003
- Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers: July 19, 2009
- Chris Young, Arizona Diamondbacks: August 7, 2010
It’s worth noting that some will include Billy Hamilton in this group, who did it on May 17, 1893. However, MLB.com’s Brent Maguire noted that according to Elias Sports Bureau, Hamilton’s team didn’t bat in the bottom of the inning that day. Despite being the home team, old rules allowed the host to choose whether they wanted to bat first or second in extra innings.
PCA Looking For a Different Ending in 2026
Throughout the first half of the 2025 season, PCA was seen as a legitimate NL MVP Award candidate. But then came the second-half swoon, and that chatter slowly evaporated.
His overall body of work was still incredible. Watching any player slug 31 homers with 35 stolen bases, 37 doubles, 95 RBI, 91 runs scored, and 5.9 bWAR across 157 games at 23 years old — all while winning a Gold Glove Award — is impressive. However, you could see the toll that second-half slump took on his triple slash, which settled in at .247/.287/.481.
Crow-Armstrong is looking to finish stronger in 2026, and he’s already putting himself in position to do just that. He’s currently on track to post his third straight month with a 1.000-plus OPS. Through 126 games played this season, PCA is slashing .281/.379/.550 with 30 homers, 25 doubles, 31 steals, 78 RBI, 89 runs scored, and a league-leading 7.7 bWAR.
We’ll see what new heights he can reach by the end of September, but he certainly appears primed to be a top NL MVP Award contender as the season starts winding down.
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