Pete Crow-Armstrong is one step away from adding the biggest individual honor to a season that already stacked up awards.
On Monday, MLB announced the National League MVP finalists, and the list came as expected: Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs. The field reflects just how much each player meant to his team, but one name is widely expected to come out on top.
Crow-Armstrong’s case starts with the glove. He already picked up his second straight Gold Glove Award, and his defense was a major reason the Cubs finished with the league’s best defense. That kind of impact made him impossible to ignore all season long.
Your 2026 @officialBBWAA NL MVP Award finalists:Pete Crow-Armstrong, CubsShohei Ohtani, DodgersBrice Turang, Brewers pic.twitter.com/pd5gaJ6sz0
The bat made the argument even louder. Crow-Armstrong turned in a 40-40 season, a milestone only seven players in baseball history have ever reached, and he did it in his age-24 season. That production also helped him land the MLBPA’s NL Outstanding Player Award and the Player of the Year Award.
For a player in only his third true MLB season, the ceiling looks enormous. The Cubs signed him to a 6-year, $115 million contract, and his breakthrough year only sharpened the conversation about what comes next for Chicago.
Even with Crow-Armstrong’s magical run, the Cubs still have real work ahead if they want to turn a great individual season into a deeper October push. The roster still needs help, especially in the bullpen and starting rotation, if the team is going to build on what it got from him in 2026.
There’s also uncertainty in the outfield. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki gave the Cubs two Gold Glove-caliber corner defenders, but that may not be the case moving forward. Crow-Armstrong remains the anchor, though, and having that kind of elite defender in center is a massive piece to build around.
The official MVP winner will be announced on November 12 at 6:00 p.m. CT.
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