Chicago Cubs fans have been treated to an unbelievable 2026 season from star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. The 24-year-old, all-world defender has now developed into one of the premier hitters in baseball, which seemed like a complete fantasy based on his performance through the middle of April. But now? He’s in the midst of not only the hottest stretch of his career, but there’s also literally been no one better than Crow-Armstrong in the modern MLB era.
In Friday’s series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, Crow-Armstrong set the tone early, staying patient against veteran starter Kevin Gausman, who could not find the strike zone against the Cubs. PCA walked on four pitches, came around to score the first run of the game on Seiya Suzuki’s two-run double, and then he reached on an infield single later in the first as the Cubs batted around.
Since becoming the leadoff hitter, Crow-Armstrong has been out of this world on offense, but we’ve seen him have great streaks in the past. For the first time in his pro career, Crow-Armstrong seems to be in complete control at the plate, and nothing proves that more than his perfect day on Friday. He went 3-for-3 and walked two times, raising his season on-base percentage to .359.
In 2025, Crow-Armstrong had only a 4.5 BB%, reaching base on walks 29 times in 647 plate appearances. Through 76 games and 324 plate appearances so far in the 2026 season, Crow-Armstrong has walked 27 times, an 8.3 BB%. His walk rate has been hovering at 10% since April 15.
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So, he’s walking more, hitting for power, stealing bases, but he’s not the first player with these tools. What’s special about Pete Crow-Armstrong? Well, how about 5 MILLION different 18-game spans by players in the modern era that have produced only this current performance from the Cubs’ star.
It is truly remarkable what Crow-Armstrong can do when he figures it all out, and this is what it looks like. For the haters, it means Pete Crow-Armstrong is the best player in MLB, a legit MVP candidate.
