Pete Crow-Armstrong entered baseball as one of the top high school prospects in 2020. The Mets selected the Harvard-Westlake center fielder 19th overall and signed him for a $3.36 million bonus. Then the pandemic delayed his pro debut until 2021.

When given the chance, Crow-Armstrong immediately showed his talent with Low-A St. Lucie, hitting .417 through six games before a right shoulder injury ended his season. While recovering, he became part of a trade that sent him to Chicago. On July 30, 2021, the Mets directed him to the Cubs for Javier Báez and Trevor Williams.

Fully healthy in 2022, Crow-Armstrong began with Low-A Myrtle Beach before advancing to High-A South Bend. He finished the season batting .312 with 16 home runs, 61 RBIs and 32 stolen bases. He also earned a Futures Game selection and a Minor League Gold Glove.

Crow-Armstrong opened 2023 with Double-A Tennessee and continued his ascent. He hit .289 with 14 homers, 60 RBIs and 27 steals in 73 games before Chicago promoted him to Triple-A Iowa on August 1.

The adjustment proved difficult at first. Crow-Armstrong went hitless in his first six at-bats before hitting his first Iowa homer on August 4. He then began a 15-game hitting streak that lasted through August 22.

The lineup card shown here captures the surge’s centerpiece. On August 15, Iowa faced the Louisville Bats at Principal Park. Crow-Armstrong hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning, giving Iowa a 5-3 walk-off victory. It was his fourth homer in 11 games with Iowa and his third consecutive two-hit game. The lineup card, signed by players from both teams, preserves it. Notice PCA’s signature and inscription, “Walk off HR” next to his name in the three-hole.

Twenty-six days later the Cubs called him up on September 11, and he made his major-league debut that night at Coors Field.

On July 8, 2026, Pete Crow-Armstrong etched his name into Cubs lore with a pair of historic home runs. His 20th and 21st long balls made him the third Cubs player to post consecutive 20-homer and 20-steal seasons.

Ryne Sandberg first achieved the feat for Chicago in 1985. Sandberg repeated the 20-20 mark in 1990 and 1991. Sammy Sosa then posted three straight 20-20 seasons from 1993 through 1995. Those two legends stood alone until Crow-Armstrong joined them.

The center fielder set the two quickest paces in team history. Crow-Armstrong reached both plateaus in just 73 games during the 2025 season. He then hit the marks again in 92 games in 2026.

Sosa stood as the most recent Cub with multiple 20-20 seasons before Crow-Armstrong. A lineup card from Sosa’s runner-up performance in the 2002 Home Run Derby sits on display here. Sammy signed the card along with Derby winner Jason Giambi and All-Star manager Bob Brenly.

Pete Crow-Armstrong joined rare company on September 6, 2026, when he launched his 40th home run of the season against the Miami Marlins. The fifth-inning solo shot made the 24-year-old center fielder only the second left-handed hitter in Chicago Cubs history to reach that mark.

The first was Hall of Famer Billy Williams, who reached 40 home runs on September 18, 1970, in Montreal and finished the season with 42. Crow-Armstrong’s milestone placed him alongside “Sweet Swinging” Billy in a franchise lineage exclusive for 56 seasons.

The connection between the two left-handed sluggers runs deeper than shared power. Williams’s 1970 campaign remains one of the finest by a Cubs lefty, and Crow-Armstrong’s pursuit repeatedly invoked the Hall of Famer’s name.

That thread surfaces in history preserved on a pair of lineup cards. PCA’s lefty 40-homer hitting mate Williams finished his career with 426 home runs. These lineup cards mark the game that another Cubs great 1987 NL MVP  Andre Dawson, matched Williams’ career total.

On June 25, 1994, just weeks before his 40th birthday, Dawson delivered one of his finer late-career performances. In a 12-inning battle he finished 4-for-7 with two home runs and a double for 11 total bases. The second home run was career number 426, tying Billy Williams. The two sluggers shared the 22nd spot on the all-time homer list for 10 days until Dawson left him behind on July 6th. The Hawk ultimately finished his career with 438 long balls.

The lineup cards from that game were signed and inscribed by Dawson afterward, specifically acknowledging Williams and the milestone they shared on the road to Cooperstown.

Forty home runs and forty stolen bases in one season represent one of baseball’s rarest accomplishments. José Canseco created the 40-40 club during his 1988 MVP season with Oakland. Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani later joined him.

Pete Crow-Armstrong became the seventh member in 2026. The Cubs center fielder accomplished the feat at age 24 during a remarkable season that earned him the National League MVP Award. His achievement also placed him among the youngest players ever to reach the milestone.

Only Rodriguez and Canseco accomplished 40-40 at younger ages. Rodriguez was 23 when he reached the mark in 1998. Canseco was 24 years and 83 days old when he became baseball’s first 40-40 player in 1988. Crow-Armstrong was 101 days older than Canseco when he joined the club.

Canseco’s historic achievement gives the lineup card shown here an intriguing connection to Crow-Armstrong. The card comes from September 1, 1985, Canseco’s first day on a major-league roster. He did not play that day, but his arrival marked the beginning of a remarkable career.

Baseball’s inaugural 40-40 man signed the card and added the notation, “Called up today.” Four decades later, Crow-Armstrong joined Canseco in the 40-40 club.

The Cubs franchise began operations in 1876 as a National League charter member. By 2026, this club had competed for 150 seasons of continuous big league baseball. Chicago baseball history stretched across a century and a half of tradition, primarily at Wrigley Field. Fans packed the Friendly Confines through eras of triumph and struggle. The North Side club built a rich legacy of stars and memorable campaigns.

Pete Crow-Armstrong became the 11th different Cub to win the National League MVP Award. With Ernie Banks as a two-time winner, PCA’s season marked the 12th time a Cubs player claimed the honor.

The franchise’s MVP tradition began with Frank Schulte in 1911. His strong all-around play set an early standard. Rogers Hornsby then delivered a dominant .380 average as the team’s second MVP in 1929. Next came Gabby Hartnett, who won it in 1935 as the team’s standout catcher and leader. Phil Cavarretta followed as the league’s MVP in 1945 as batting champion during a pennant-winning year. Hank Sauer earned the award in 1952 behind powerful home run and RBI totals.

Ernie Banks later captured consecutive MVPs in 1958 and 1959. His back-to-back honors still stand alone in franchise history. Second baseman Ryne Sandberg secured the award in 1984 with elite defense and offense. Andre Dawson led the majors with 49 home runs to win it in 1987 for the last-place Cubs. Sammy Sosa then claimed the honor after hitting 66 home runs in 1998. Kris Bryant capped the list by winning near-unanimously in the 2016 championship season.

Crow-Armstrong’s 2026 season added a fresh chapter to this history. His blend of power, speed, and defense ranked among the franchise’s finest.

Shown here is an original handprint of Ernie Banks, the only two-time Cubs MVP. After inking his hand and fingers, Banks pressed them onto this sheet of paper. He later signed the unique keepsake.