Skip to content National League MVP honors belong entirely to Pete Crow-Armstrong after the Chicago Cubs center fielder secured every single first-place vote from the BBWAA on Thursday. The 24-year-old took home the hardware after an astonishing regular season in which he played all 162 games.
His victory completely flipped the preseason script. Shohei Ohtani entered the year as the overwhelming betting favorite to capture the award once again. But Crow-Armstrong erased that gap with relentless production on both sides of the ball.
Also read: Pete Crow-Armstrong MVP win puts Cubs star in rare company
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced the unanimous verdict after tabulating all 30 ballots. Crow-Armstrong dominated the field, leaving no doubt about who owned the best campaign in baseball.
A National League MVP sweep built on 162 games
Crow-Armstrong delivered a rare blend of durability and power in his third full big-league season. He batted .280/.372/.570 with 45 home runs, 107 RBI and 119 runs scored. He also racked up 31 doubles and eight triples.
Those numbers translated to a sparkling 156 OPS+ across a grueling six-month schedule. He led all of Major League Baseball in home runs, runs scored and total bases. He also finished atop the senior circuit in slugging percentage, OPS and OPS+.
His impact did not stop at the plate. He paced the entire sport in several advanced defensive metrics from center field, taking away hits on a nightly basis. That total package pushed him to a major-league-leading 9.8 WAR.
Joining the historic 40-40 club
Speed turned Crow-Armstrong from an offensive centerpiece into a historic force on the basepaths. He stole 41 bases while being caught only rarely, keeping constant pressure on opposing pitchers.
That aggression made him just the seventh player in MLB history to gain entry into the rare 40-40 club. Reaching 45 homers alongside 41 stolen bases placed him in company that very few sluggers have ever touched.
The BBWAA voting system awards 14 points for a first-place vote, nine for second, and eight for third. Crow-Armstrong grabbed all 30 first-place selections without dropping a single top spot to the field.
How Ohtani lost the National League MVP race
Shohei Ohtani held the frontrunner status straight through the midsummer break. Yet second-half injuries slowed the Dodgers superstar just enough to open the door for a challenger.
Ohtani still submitted a brilliant year to finish as the runner-up. He hit .275/.377/.512 with 30 home runs, 26 doubles and 81 RBI while generating 3.2 WAR at the plate.
On the mound, the four-time MVP looked sharp whenever he pitched. Here is how his pitching workload broke down across the season:
- 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA
- 95 strikeouts in 85 ⅔ innings pitched
- A stingy 0.95 WHIP and 3.2 pitching WAR
That gave Ohtani 6.4 total WAR on the year. But his limited pitching volume could not match Crow-Armstrong’s daily two-way dominance in center field.
Brice Turang locks up third place
While the top two names commanded headlines, Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang quietly put together a monstrous year of his own. He finished third on the ballot after anchoring the Brewers infield all summer.
Turang has still never made an MLB All-Star team, though he did open the calendar year suiting up for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. His regular season proved he belongs among the league’s premier infielders.
Turang posted a .268/.366/.450 slash line with 21 home runs, 37 doubles and 100 RBI. He crossed the plate 102 times, finished with a 124 OPS+, and rated as one of baseball’s absolute best glovemen on his way to 7.3 WAR.
Voters submitted their selections before the postseason began, locking in the regular-season award tallies. Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs now turn their attention to defending that crown when pitchers and catchers report for spring training in February.
Source: CBS Sports
