Pete Crow-Armstrong etched his name in the Chicago Cubs record books on Wednesday, becoming the first player in franchise history to achieve consecutive seasons with at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases. The milestone occurred during the Cubs' 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, completing a series sweep.
Crow-Armstrong was instrumental in the win, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and four runs batted in. He opened the scoring in the first inning with a game-tying home run on the first pitch from Dodgers starter Eric Lauer. In the second inning, he added an RBI double, and then extended the Cubs' lead to 5-1 in the fourth with a two-run homer.
The 24-year-old center fielder is now hitting .288 on the season with 26 home runs and 69 RBIs. He also has 28 stolen bases and 60 walks. Last season, Crow-Armstrong contributed to the Cubs' first playoff appearance since 2020, hitting 31 home runs and driving in 95 runs, though his batting average was .247.
His performance against left-handed pitching has shown significant improvement. In 2025, his OPS against lefties was .594, but this season it has climbed to .937, as demonstrated by his success against Lauer, a left-handed pitcher, on Wednesday.
Crow-Armstrong's development into a potential MVP candidate has coincided with the Cubs' recent surge. The team now holds a 66-49 record, significantly improved from their 34-34 start. They currently occupy the first NL wild-card spot and are trailing the Milwaukee Brewers by five games in the NL Central race.