While Shohei Ohtani entered the 2026 season as an overwhelming favorite to take home another MVP award, it was Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs that stole the show, and on Thursday, he recieved his first ever Most Valuable Player, becoming the second unanimous MVP of the night.
It was a career defining season for PCA as he joined the prolific 40/40 club (the 7th ever player to do it) with 45 home runs and 41 stolen bases, beating out Ohtani with ease to claim the first Most Valuable Player Award of his young career. Not only that, but the 24-year-old played Platinum Defense in center field, backing up the impressive 2025 season with the best campaign of his career to date.
It was Ohtani and Milwaukee Brewers infielder Brice Turang that PCA beats out for the first MVP of his career, with elite five tool play that helped establish him as one of the most exciting young players in all of Major League Baseball.
In 162 games played, Crow-Armstrong hit .280 with a .943 OPS while blasting 45 home runs and driving in an impressive 107 runs, and combined iwth the defense he played in center, this was the obvious call to make, as the voters clearly agreed too.
The award comes just three full seasons into PCA's career at the MLB level with the Cubs, and while only time will tell if he can back this play up and take his game to a new level in 2027 and beyond, he's deservedly rewarded with the first MVP of his career in 2026.