Pete Crow-Armstrong secured the National League MVP award Thursday evening, capping a historic regular season with a unanimous vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The 24-year-old center fielder delivered a .280/.372/.570 line while leading the league in home runs, tying Kyle Schwarber, and significantly elevating his on-base percentage. His combination of elite power, refined plate discipline, and stellar defense established him as the clear standout in the NL, earning him the hardware just weeks before his 25th birthday.
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This performance places Crow-Armstrong in rarefied air among the game’s greatest center fielders. Since integration, only eight players have posted at least 8.0 WAR in a season at age 25 or younger: Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Willie Davis, César Cedeño, Ken Griffey Jr., Andruw Jones, Mike Trout, and now PCA. Crow-Armstrong’s 9.8 WAR total is the highest on this list, surpassing even Trout’s peak. Historically, only Tris Speaker and Ty Cobb have outperformed him in this specific metric during the pre-integration era, highlighting the sheer dominance of his 2024 campaign.
The comparison to Willie Davis offers a fascinating historical parallel, as Davis also flashed a power-speed combo early in his career despite inconsistent hitting. However, Davis’s 8.4 WAR season in 1964 was heavily driven by defensive metrics, whereas Crow-Armstrong’s award is built on a more balanced and sustainable offensive profile. With an MVP already on his resume and a statistical profile that rivals the all-time greats, Crow-Armstrong is not just a star but a cornerstone for the Cubs, poised to define the next era of baseball excellence.
Source: CBS Sports
