The Chicago Cubs have their first MVP in a decade, and Pete Crow-Armstrong is following in some pretty familiar footsteps.
Crow-Armstrong was named the unanimous winner of the 2026 National League MVP award on Thursday, exactly 10 years after Kris Bryant took home the honor for the Cubs.
MLB took note of the parallel on social media, pointing out that the two Cubs stars are known by their initials and have a knack for making Wrigley Field roar.
“Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kris Bryant now share this acronym: MVP,” the MLB official page wrote on X.
It is easy to see why the voters were unanimous. Crow-Armstrong put together a dominant season, playing in all 162 games and leading the NL in home runs (45), OPS (.943) and WAR (9.8). He also hit .280 with 107 RBIs, 31 doubles, eight triples and 41 stolen bases, joining baseball’s 40-40 club.
His win also snapped Shohei Ohtani’s run atop the NL. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar, who won the award in 2024 and 2025, finished second in the voting.
Crow-Armstrong’s win capped off a historic awards week. Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez was also a unanimous pick for AL MVP, while both Cy Young winners were unanimous selections as well.
“This is going to be the first year in history when both MVPs and both Cy Youngs were unanimous,” Jayson Stark of The Athletic noted.
Article Continues BelowBryant, meanwhile, won the NL MVP in 2016, one year after being named NL Rookie of the Year. That season, he hit .292 with 39 home runs and 102 RBIs, and he helped lead the Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years.
Crow-Armstrong’s season did not end quite as sweetly. The Cubs were swept by the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card round, falling 4-1 in Game 2.
Still, the 24-year-old has established himself as the new face of the franchise. Fans at Wrigley will be hoping he can bring the same kind of October magic that Bryant delivered a decade ago.