Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered a two-homer, four-hit performance in the Crosstown Classic, capped by a walk-off blast in the 10th inning that gave the Cubs a much-needed win over the White Sox and strengthened his NL MVP case.
As if there wasn't already a compelling argument for Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong to be the National League MVP in 2026, he put the team on his back in a rivalry game on Monday night and proved exactly why this is the year of PCA.
Coming off a disappointing weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cubs are desperate to kick things into gear and start gaining ground in the NL Central. That starts with winning a Crosstown Classic series against the White Sox.
Facing right-handed pitcher Luis Castillo, Crow-Armstrong hit the first pitch Castillo threw for a home run, giving the Cubs an early 1-0 lead.
Later, he singled and stole a base, getting himself into scoring position. He drew a walk. And when he came up in the bottom of the eighth with two outs and nobody on, he lined a base hit into left field, then used his speed to turn it into a double, once again bringing the tying run into scoring position.
There wasn't a single White Sox pitcher who looked comfortable facing PCA. So when the South Siders decided to pitch to him in the bottom of the 10th inning in a tie ballgame, he made them pay, getting a slider over the heart of the plate from rookie Hagen Smith and belting it into the seats in right field for a walk-off home run.
Pete Crow-Armstrong finished the day 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs, three RBIs, a walk, and a stolen base. His walk-off home run was also his 30th of the year, clinching another 30-30 season for the 24-year-old outfielder.
A day like Monday is a day that PCA is truly the NL MVP. It's always hard to beat Shohei Ohtani. It's hard to top him, and it might even be difficult to look at the numbers and make a case for PCA being more valuable, especially when Ohtani provided the Dodgers with half a season of elite starting pitching this year.
But going off the eye test and watching a game like Cubs and White Sox on Monday night, it becomes clear that PCA puts this Cubs team on his back.
Every inning that he came up, the Cubs threatened to score. Every time he reached a base, he put the pressure on. And if you make one bad pitch while he's at bat, he'll take it for a ride. When one player can have such a critical impact on a game, taking an otherwise sloppy Cubs effort and turning it into an electric victory, there's nothing more that can be said about that player than him being the MVP.
PCA delivered an iconic Crosstown Classic moment on Monday night, and he helped his MVP case in the process.
