Pete Crow-Armstrong Wins 2026 NL MVP Unanimously

Pete Crow-Armstrong won the 2026 National League Most Valuable Player Award unanimously on Thursday, completing a historic Chicago Cubs season that combined 45 home runs, 41 stolen bases and elite defense in center field.

Crow-Armstrong received all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America for 420 points. Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani finished second, ending his run of three consecutive MVP awards, while Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang placed third.

The 24-year-old is the first Cubs player to win the award unanimously and the franchise’s first MVP since Kris Bryant in 2016.

A 40-40 season with historic range

Crow-Armstrong batted .280 with a .372 on-base percentage and led the National League in slugging percentage (.570) and OPS (.942). His 45 home runs tied Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber for the major-league lead, while his 119 runs, 84 extra-base hits and 357 total bases led MLB outright.

The power-speed combination placed Crow-Armstrong in an even smaller group. He produced the seventh 40-homer, 40-steal season in major-league history and became the first Cubs player to reach both marks in the same year.

Only three players have recorded at least 45 home runs, 40 stolen bases and 30 doubles in one season: Alfonso Soriano in 2006, Ohtani in 2024 and Crow-Armstrong in 2026.

His value extended well beyond the batter’s box. Crow-Armstrong finished with an MLB-best 10.6 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs, while continuing to patrol center field at a Platinum Glove level. That total ranked second in Cubs history behind only Rogers Hornsby’s 11.0 WAR in 1929.

Crow-Armstrong ends Ohtani’s MVP streak

Ohtani had won the previous two National League awards with Los Angeles after taking the American League honor in 2023. Beating that résumé required a complete season, and Crow-Armstrong’s combination of power, speed, run production and defense left voters with a unanimous choice.

He becomes the ninth Cubs player to receive an MVP award, joining a list that includes Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Sammy Sosa and Bryant. He is also only the seventh primary center fielder to win the National League honor.

The award turns the “M-V-Pete” chants heard at Wrigley Field into a permanent part of Cubs history. Crow-Armstrong entered 2026 as one of baseball’s most dynamic young players and finished it as the National League’s undisputed most valuable player.