is racking up rare statistical feats in 2026. On Monday night, the Cubs center fielder and NL MVP Award frontrunner reached another notable milestone.

PCA began the day with 9.8 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) according to the formula used at FanGraphs, which is also referred to as fWAR. After a huge, four-hit performance, which included his 42nd home run and 37th stolen base in a 7-3 Cubs win over the Braves, PCA climbed over the 10-WAR line, finishing at 10.1. That is blowing away the field and then some. Shohei Ohtani ranks second in the Majors at 6.8 fWAR, and that includes both his batting and pitching value.

The 3.3-WAR gap between Crow-Armstrong and Ohtani equals the gap between Ohtani and the duo of Jake Bauers and Bryce Harper, who are tied for 60th in MLB. If that holds, it would be the first time in 70 years that there was a 3-fWAR gap between the No. 1 and No. 2 players -- since Mickey Mantle (11.5) finished well ahead of Duke Snider (7.5) in 1956. The only other players in the Modern Era (since 1900) to lead by at least 3 fWAR are Rogers Hornsby (1925, '29) and Babe Ruth (1919, '20, '23, '26).

Now, before we go any further, let’s acknowledge two points:

  • WAR can go both up and down, so PCA’s might theoretically drop back under 10. (He already did once, after briefly getting to exactly 10.0.)
  • There are two major versions of WAR, one at FanGraphs and one at Baseball-Reference (also referred to as bWAR). These systems use somewhat different inputs and calculate WAR differently, so while they generally are in the same ballpark, they don’t line up exactly. In Crow-Armstrong’s case, he still leads the Majors in bWAR, but with “only” 9.3 entering Tuesday, or 1.7 ahead of Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez.

A 10-WAR season by both models is still in play for Crow-Armstrong, if hardly guaranteed, with 11 games remaining. But even reaching that plateau via one of the two systems is quite an accomplishment. For PCA, it comes down to being great across the board. (All numbers via FanGraphs, entering Tuesday.)

  • His 157 wRC+ (compared to the park-adjusted league average of 100) ranks second in the Majors among qualifiers, behind only Yordan Alvarez.
  • His 6.9 baserunning runs above average, which factors in both his stolen bases and general success on the bases, ranks fifth in MLB.
  • Because he plays a difficult, up-the-middle position and excels at it, his defensive value is the best in baseball, edging out Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

While PCA’s final total will be decided between now and Sept. 27, let’s take a closer look at the company he would be keeping, assuming he maintains his place in the 10-WAR club.

Note: We’re looking at total WAR here, as opposed to just hitting or pitching WAR. Total WAR combines offensive, defensive and pitching value, which affects not just Ohtani, but also pitchers who hit prior to the universal DH or even position players who have made rare pitching appearances.

Players with 10-WAR seasons in the 30-team era (since 1998)

Aaron Judge
2025 (10.0 fWAR), 2024 (11.2 fWAR, 10.9 bWAR), 2022 (11.1 fWAR, 10.8 bWAR)

Judge missed large chunks of 2023 and ‘26 to injury, but he notched 10 WAR via at least one of the two systems in three consecutive full seasons. In each of the three, he posted a wRC+ of over 200, or more than twice the league average.

Bobby Witt Jr.
2024 (10.5 fWAR)

Witt was the epitome of a complete player in 2024. He posted his second straight 30-30 season, led all MLB hitters with a .332 average and 211 hits, had a 170 wRC+, won his first Gold Glove with an AL-best 16 Outs Above Average at shortstop, and finished second in the AL MVP vote.

Mookie Betts
2018 (10.2 fWAR, 10.7 bWAR)

Betts’ 2018 campaign was the peak of a five-year period from 2015-19 in which he averaged 8.1 bWAR per season. He led MLB with a .346 average and .640 slugging percentage, hit 32 homers and had a 185 wRC+ on his way to AL MVP honors with the world champion Red Sox.

Mike Trout
2016 (10.4 bWAR), 2013 (10.1 fWAR), 2012 (10.1 fWAR, 10.5 bWAR)

Peak Trout had many thinking he could end up being the best player of all time, and his three 10 WAR seasons represented the peak of the peak. Those seasons resulted in the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year Award, the 2016 AL MVP and a wRC+ low of 167.

Zack Greinke
2009 (10.4 bWAR)

No pitcher has crossed the 10-WAR threshold since Greinke did so with the Royals in 2009. He pitched to a 2.16 ERA in 33 starts across 229 1/3 innings on his way to his first – and only – career Cy Young Award. 

Barry Bonds
2004 (11.9 fWAR, 10.6 bWAR), 2003 (10.2 fWAR), 2002 (12.7 fWAR, 11.7 bWAR), 2001 (12.5 fWAR, 11.8 bWAR)

From 2001-04, a period in which he was named NL MVP each year, Bonds was quite possibly the most feared hitter who ever lived. In ’01, he set the single-season home run record by smashing 73, and from 2002-04, he broke and re-broke the all-time single-season mark for intentional walks -- he set a record with 68 in ’02, then was issued an intentional free pass 61 times in ’03 and an unfathomable 120 times in ’04. Even prior to that historic run, Bonds produced 9-plus WAR four times (1990, ’92, ’93 and ’96).

Alex Rodriguez
2002 (10.0 fWAR), 2000 (10.4 bWAR)

A-Rod had one of the greatest walk years in MLB history in 2000, when he posted a 1.026 OPS with 41 home runs and 132 RBIs for the Mariners just before inking a then-record 10-year, $252 million contract with the Rangers. Two years later, he belted a career-best 57 home runs to go along with an MLB-leading 142 RBIs and 389 total bases for Texas.

Randy Johnson
2002 (10.5 bWAR)

The Hall of Fame left-hander won four consecutive NL Cy Young Awards with the D-backs from 1999 to 2002, averaging 9.5 WAR per season. Johnson was most dominant in the final year of that stretch, going 24-5 with a 2.32 ERA (195 ERA+, or 95% better than league average) and 334 strikeouts in 260 innings. 

Sammy Sosa
2001 (10.2 bWAR)

Slammin’ Sammy Sosa won the NL MVP Award behind a 66-home run barrage in 1998. But his best season may have actually occurred three years later. In 2001, Sosa posted a 186 wRC+, or production 86% better than league average, behind 64 home runs and 160 RBIs. 

Pedro Martinez
2000 (11.7 bWAR), 1999 (11.6 fWAR)

Martinez was quite good in his first season with the Red Sox in 1998, finishing as the runner-up in AL Cy Young Award voting. But that was just an appetizer for the dominance that followed. Martinez won consecutive Cy Young Awards in 1999 and 2000, each time leading the Majors in ERA and the AL in strikeouts.

Kevin Brown
1998 (10.0 fWAR)

Brown was a workhorse for the Marlins, Padres and Dodgers from 1996-2000, and the ’98 campaign -- his lone season with San Diego -- was his finest over that span. The hard-throwing right-hander finished that season with a 2.38 ERA (2.23 FIP) and 5.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 257 innings for the NL champions.

Other 10-WAR seasons in Modern Era (since 1900)

1997: Roger Clemens (10.8 fWAR, 12.1 bWAR)
1993: Barry Bonds (10.5 fWAR), José Rijo (10.1 bWAR)
1991: Cal Ripken Jr. (10.6 fWAR, 11.5 bWAR)
1990: Roger Clemens (10.4 bWAR), Rickey Henderon (10.2 fWAR)
1985: Dwight Gooden (13.3 bWAR)
1984: Cal Ripken Jr. (10.0 bWAR)
1982: Robin Yount (10.6 bWAR)
1980: Steve Carlton (10.1 bWAR)
1978: Phil Niekro (10.4 bWAR)
1975: Joe Morgan (11.0 fWAR, 10.9 bWAR)
1973: Bert Blyleven (10.8 fWAR), Tom Seaver (11.0 bWAR)
1972: Steve Carlton (11.6 fWAR, 12.5 bWAR), Gaylord Perry (11.0 bWAR), Wilbur Wood (10.3 bWAR)
1971: Fergie Jenkins (11.2 fWAR, 11.8 bWAR), Wilbur Wood (11.0 bWAR), Tom Seaver (10.9 bWAR)
1970: Bob Gibson (11.3 fWAR, 10.1 bWAR)
1969: Bob Gibson (11.3 bWAR), Rico Petrocelli (10.0 bWAR)
1968: Bob Gibson (11.9 bWAR), Carl Yastrzemski (10.4 bWAR)
1967: Carl Yastrzemski (11.1 fWAR, 12.4 bWAR)
1965: Willie Mays (10.7 fWAR, 11.2 bWAR), Sandy Koufax (10.5 fWAR), Juan Marichal (10.5 bWAR)
1964: Willie Mays (10.5 fWAR, 11.0 bWAR)
1963: Willie Mays (10.6 bWAR)
1962: Willie Mays (10.5 fWAR, 10.5 bWAR)
1961: Mickey Mantle (10.3 fWAR, 10.4 bWAR), Norm Cash (10.2 fWAR)
1959: Ernie Banks (10.2 bWAR)
1958: Willie Mays (10.2 bWAR)
1957: Mickey Mantle (11.4 fWAR, 11.3 bWAR)
1956: Mickey Mantle (11.5 fWAR, 11.2 bWAR)
1954: Willie Mays (10.3 fWAR, 10.4 bWAR)
1953: Al Rosen (10.1 bWAR)
1948: Stan Musial (11.0 fWAR, 11.2 bWAR), Lou Boudreau (10.9 fWAR, 10.3 bWAR)
1947: Ted Williams (10.3 fWAR)
1946: Ted Williams (11.6 fWAR, 10.5 bWAR)
1945: Hal Newhouser (12.2 bWAR)
1944: Dizzy Trout (10.9 bWAR)
1942: Ted Williams (11.5 fWAR, 10.4 bWAR)
1941: Ted Williams (11.0 fWAR, 10.3 bWAR)
1936: Lefty Grove (10.6 bWAR), Carl Hubbell (10.1 bWAR)
1935: Wes Ferrell (10.6 bWAR)
1934: Lou Gehrig (10.7 fWAR, 10.0 bWAR)
1932: Jimmie Foxx (11.3 fWAR, 10.3 bWAR)
1931: Babe Ruth (10.7 fWAR, 10.5 bWAR), Lefty Grove (10.0 bWAR)
1930: Babe Ruth (10.7 fWAR, 10.5 bWAR), Lefty Grove (10.4 bWAR)
1929: Rogers Hornsby (11.0 fWAR, 10.5 bWAR)
1928: Babe Ruth (10.5 fWAR, 10.1 bWAR), Dazzy Vance (10.3 bWAR)
1927: Babe Ruth (12.9 fWAR, 12.5 bWAR), Lou Gehrig (12.4 fWAR, 11.8 bWAR), Rogers Hornsby (10.4 fWAR, 10.2 bWAR)
1926: Babe Ruth (11.8 fWAR, 11.4 bWAR)
1925: Rogers Hornsby (10.7 fWAR, 10.1 bWAR)
1924: Babe Ruth (12.3 fWAR, 11.3 bWAR), Rogers Hornsby (12.2 fWAR, 12.1 bWAR), Dazzy Vance (10.3 bWAR)
1923: Babe Ruth (14.7 fWAR, 14.1 bWAR), Dolf Luque (10.9 bWAR)
1922: Rogers Hornsby (10.5 fWAR, 10.0 bWAR)
1921: Babe Ruth (13.6 fWAR, 12.6 bWAR), Rogers Hornsby (11.1 fWAR, 10.9 bWAR), Red Faber (11.1 bWAR)
1920: Babe Ruth (13.2 fWAR, 11.8 bWAR), Grover Alexander (12.7 bWAR)
1919: Walter Johnson (11.0 bWAR)
1918: Walter Johnson (11.8 bWAR)
1917: Ty Cobb (11.5 fWAR, 11.0 bWAR), Eddie Cicotte (12.1 bWAR), Rogers Hornsby (10.0 bWAR)
1916: Grover Alexander (12.1 bWAR), Walter Johnson (11.2 bWAR), Babe Ruth (10.4 bWAR)
1915: Walter Johnson (12.8 bWAR), Grover Alexander (10.9 bWAR)
1914: Walter Johnson (13.1 bWAR)
1913: Walter Johnson (16.6 bWAR)
1912: Tris Speaker (10.6 fWAR, 10.0 bWAR), Walter Johnson (10.4 fWAR, 15.4 bWAR), Ed Walsh (12.8 bWAR), Joe Wood (11.5 bWAR)
1911: Ty Cobb (11.0 fWAR, 10.5 bWAR)
1910: Ty Cobb (10.3 fWAR, 10.3 bWAR), Ed Walsh (11.8 bWAR), Russ Ford (11.7 bWAR), Walter Johnson (11.0 bWAR),Nap Lajoie (10.3 bWAR), Jack Coombs (10.3 bWAR)
1909: Eddie Collins (10.0 fWAR), Christy Mathewson (10.6 bWAR)
1908: Honus Wagner (11.8 fWAR, 11.4 bWAR), Christy Mathewson (10.8 fWAR, 11.9 bWAR), Ed Walsh (10.7 bWAR)
1906: Nap Lajoie (10.0 bWAR)
1905: Honus Wagner (10.8 fWAR, 10.1 bWAR), Christy Mathewson (10.5 bWAR)
1904: Jack Chesbro (11.4 bWAR), Rube Waddell (10.4 bWAR)
1903: Christy Mathewson (10.8 bWAR), Joe McGinnity (11.9 bWAR)
1902: Cy Young (10.1 bWAR), Jack Taylor (10.0 bWAR)
1901: Cy Young (12.4 bWAR)