Crow-Armstrong secures historic 30-30 season as Cubs edge White Sox
The 24-year-old becomes the tenth player in Major League Baseball history to record consecutive 30-home run and 30-stolen base seasons, while extending his lead in the WAR standings.
Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered a defining performance on Monday night at Wrigley Field, hitting both the leadoff and walkoff home runs to propel the Chicago Cubs to a 7-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox in ten innings. The feat marks Crow-Armstrong’s second consecutive 30-home run and 30-stolen base season, making him the tenth player in Major League Baseball history to achieve this milestone.
Crow-Armstrong recorded four hits in five at-bats, including a double, a walk, and a stolen base, in addition to the two home runs. The leadoff shot came off the first pitch of the game, while the walkoff home run was hit off the final pitch of the contest. He is the sixth player in the Modern Era, since 1900, to hit both a leadoff and a walkoff home run in the same game.
The performance has significantly bolstered Crow-Armstrong’s case in the National League MVP race. Currently hitting .281 with 30 home runs and 31 stolen bases, he holds a substantial lead in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) among all MLB players. He is widely considered a primary contender alongside Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who also recorded four hits, including two home runs, in the Dodgers’ 11-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on the same night.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell and reliever Jacob Webb publicly praised Crow-Armstrong’s impact. Counsell described the season as incredible and called the Monday night performance potentially the best in Crow-Armstrong’s major league career. Webb, who threw a scoreless top of the tenth inning, stated, "I'm going to say Pete's my MVP. Definitely, I feel like he's earned it."
Crow-Armstrong, who previously joined Sammy Sosa as the only players in Cubs history to record a 30-30 season, now shares company with legends such as Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, and Bobby Bonds. Defensively, he leads all players, not just centre fielders, with 23 outs above average. The win improved the Cubs’ record to 73-53, placing them four and a half games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and in a top wild-card spot.
