Pete Crow-Armstrong has spent the 2026 season turning extraordinary plays into something almost routine, but there is nothing routine about joining baseball’s 40-40 club. By stealing second base against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field, the Cubs center fielder secured his 40th stolen base to go with 45 home runs, becoming only the seventh player in major-league history—and the first Cub—to produce 40 homers and 40 steals in the same season. The milestone arrived during a 2-1 victory that also clinched Chicago’s second consecutive postseason berth, making the afternoon a celebration of individual brilliance and team achievement.
For Cubs fans, the number carries an interesting connection to the franchise’s past. Back in 2006, Alfonso Soriano hit 46 home runs and stole 41 bases for the Washington Nationals, becoming the fourth member of the 40-40 club. That November, the Cubs made him the centerpiece of their effort to return to contention, signing him to an eight-year, $136 million contract that was then the largest deal in franchise history.
Soriano did not accomplish the feat in a Cubs uniform, but his 40-40 season helped make him one of the most coveted free agents on the market. Twenty years later, Crow-Armstrong has finally brought the achievement directly to the North Side. The Cubs once had to spend lavishly to import a player coming off that kind of season. Now they have watched their own cornerstone reach the same exclusive territory while playing premium defense in center field and emerging as the face of the franchise.
The historical company makes Crow-Armstrong’s accomplishment even more impressive. Before this season, the club consisted of José Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Soriano, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani. Crow-Armstrong is also only the third player, after Soriano and Ohtani, to combine at least 45 home runs with 40 stolen bases in one season.
Ohtani was the most recent player to reach 40-40, doing it with the Dodgers in 2024. He arrived in unforgettable fashion, launching a walk-off grand slam for his 40th home run after stealing his 40th base earlier in the game. Ohtani did not stop there. He finished with 54 home runs and 59 steals, established the first 50-50 season in major-league history and was unanimously named National League MVP.
That precedent matters when considering Crow-Armstrong’s MVP case. A 40-40 season does not automatically settle an award race, but it gives voters a simple and powerful way to understand the scale of his year. Crow-Armstrong has delivered elite power, game-changing speed and highlight-reel defense at one of the sport’s most demanding positions. He has also been the driving force behind another Cubs playoff appearance, connecting individual production to meaningful team success.
The numbers already read like something pulled from a video game. With the historic steal, Crow-Armstrong is batting .280 with a .948 OPS, 45 home runs, 107 RBIs, 119 runs and 40 stolen bases. He also led the National League in home runs, runs scored and fWAR as the regular season entered its final days. Those are not merely MVP-caliber totals. They are the foundation of one of the greatest all-around seasons ever produced by a Cubs player.
There is also something fitting about how Crow-Armstrong entered the club. His defense and speed were always expected to make him special. The dramatic development of his bat has transformed him from an exciting young center fielder into a complete superstar. Reaching 40 steals would have surprised no one when he was climbing through the Cubs’ system. Reaching 40 home runs—and then pushing the total to 45—shows how dramatically his offensive ceiling has risen.
Here’s the thing, folks: The word unanimous should never be used casually in an MVP discussion. Baseball has too many outstanding players, and voters often disagree over how to balance statistics, defense, positional value and team performance. Still, Crow-Armstrong has built a case with almost no visible weakness. He has the traditional counting numbers, advanced value, defensive impact, postseason berth and now the kind of historic milestone that can become the defining image of an entire season.
With that . . . That 40th steal may ultimately be the icing on the cake. Crow-Armstrong was already positioned to win the National League MVP, but joining one of baseball’s most exclusive clubs gives his candidacy an unforgettable finishing touch. Soriano’s 40-40 season persuaded the Cubs to make a franchise-altering investment in 2006. Ohtani’s helped carry him to a unanimous MVP in 2024. In 2026, Crow-Armstrong’s 40-40 breakthrough should do more than place his name beside theirs. It could make him the unanimous choice as the National League’s most valuable player.
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