Pete Crow-Armstrong is solidifying his lead in the MVP race every day

All in all, the 2026 MLB season is already starting to wind down. There are only three weeks left on the schedule before the real season begins—the season of October baseball.

As a result, we're starting to get a good idea of who the potential contenders are for the various individual awards. One player whose name continues to grab attention is Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Chicago Cubs star seems to be solidifying his MVP claim a little more with every game, at the expense of his closest rival, Shohei Ohtani. To take it a step further, nothing seems to be able to stop the 24-year-old American from achieving what seemed unthinkable not so long ago.

He'll have earned it

Who could have predicted, back in the middle of July, that PCA would edge out Shohei for the title of most valuable player at this point in the season?

While the Japanese star was on fire early in the season, injuries caught up with him, opening the door for the player from the Windy City. Make no mistake! It's by no means Ohtani's slump that will lead to the Cubs outfielder potentially winning the prestigious honor. Still, the Dodgers' hybrid player is having an excellent season overall. His stats are solid, both on the mound and at the plate. That said, Crow-Armstrong is having a phenomenal second half of the season, to the point where he's carrying his team on his shoulders.

It's hard to pinpoint a single key moment that tipped the scales in the title race. However, one undeniable turning point was the August 17 game against the White Sox, when No. 4 hit two crucial home runs. The first came as the leadoff hitter, and the second in extra innings to end the game. 

Then, no less than two weeks later—on August 29—he hit three home runs against the Reds. At that point, it felt like he had the wind in his sails and that things were more serious than ever. Here we are 10 days later, and Pete Crow-Armstrong is the clear favorite. At the risk of repeating myself, he's earned every bit of it. And that's not even mentioning his defensive brilliance as he mans the crucial center-field position. 

Just today, he hit his 41st home run of the season. It came in the ninth inning, cutting the deficit to a single run. It was in vain, but still. He's been a beacon of hope.

With 35 stolen bases, he's also closing in on a 40/40 season.

As for the National League MVP race, the only real question now isn't who will finish first or second, but rather, who will finish third?

• The Tigers' GM won't be joining the Red Wings.

• Guardians lose.

• The Angels are out of the playoff race.

• And that's 43.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.