CHICAGO -- Shohei Ohtani showed exactly why he has won four Most Valuable Player Awards on Wednesday afternoon, sending a pitch from lefty Shota Imanaga rocketing into Wrigley Field’s right-field bleachers to open the series finale between the Dodgers and Cubs. And then Pete Crow-Armstrong showed everyone that this year’s MVP race could have a different result.
In the home half of the first inning, Crow-Armstrong launched a leadoff homer of his own, connecting with a first-pitch fastball from lefty Eric Lauer. In what has been a statement series for the North Siders so far, Chicago’s star center fielder made a statement of his own with that powerful swing, and another blast later in the game for good measure.
Count Dodgers manager Dave Roberts among those who have noticed how Crow-Armstrong has started to build an MVP case of his own.
“I have followed what Pete’s doing,” Roberts said before Wednesday’s game. “He’s figured some things out with the bat. He’s having a heck of a year. And he has rightfully made it a lot closer than most people expected. He’s had a tremendous season.”
It marked just the second time in the past 50 years where both teams hit a leadoff homer at Wrigley Field. The only other time such an event took place was May 1, 2018, when Charlie Blackmon and Anthony Rizzo traded blasts in a bout between the Rockies and Cubs.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, there has never been an MLB game in which two players who went on to finish in the top-10 in MVP voting that season both hit leadoff home runs. Ohtani and Crow-Armstrong are poised to be the first duo to achieve that niche feat.
Ohtani has to still be considered the favorite for the MVP Award, having picked up the trophy in four of the past five years and in the previous two with the Dodgers.
Los Angeles' global superstar is a unicorn in the sport, providing a powerful bat on one side of the game and featuring an overpowering arm on the mound, as well. The catch in the MVP discussion right now is the fact that a left knee issue has kept Ohtani away from pitching since July 3, and his comeback timeline is a bit fluid at the moment.
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Armstrong has built on last season’s breakout campaign by taking his offensive game to new heights. The center fielder has developed a keen eye at the plate -- his 60 walks were more than the past two seasons combined (50) -- while maintaining plus power, elite speed and arguably the best defense in baseball.
When Ohtani went deep off Imanaga in the first inning, it gave the slugger 25 home runs on the year. While he went 50-50 in ‘24, he only has six stolen bases this year.
Crow-Armstrong’s blast was also his 25th, but he has paired that with 28 stolen bases. The center fielder is now the only player in Cubs history to have a 25-25 showing in consecutive years. He is also the sixth player in MLB history to reach that mark within his club's first 115 games of the season multiple times, joining José Ramírez (2018, ‘24 with Cleveland), Ronald Acuña Jr. (2019, ‘23 with Atlanta), Alfonso Soriano (2002, ‘06 with the Yankees and Nationals), Jose Canseco (1988, ‘98 with Oakland and Toronto) and Bobby Bonds (1973, ‘77 with the Giants and Angels). Of these six, Crow-Armstrong is the only one to accomplish this feat in consecutive seasons.
Crow-Armstrong added his 26th homer of the season in the fourth inning, when he sent another Lauer pitch bouncing off the videoboard beyond the right-field bleachers. It marked the 31st homer off the big board since it was installed in 2015, according to the Cubs. The shot also gave Crow-Armstrong seven homers off lefties this year.
Between the blasts, Crow-Armstrong delivered an RBI double in the second inning that elicited chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” from his Wrigley Field audience.
According to FanGraphs, Ohtani had 6.4 wins above replacement this season between offense (3.4) and pitching (3.0) going into Wednesday’s game. He ranked second in the Majors to Crow-Armstrong, who carried a 7.5 fWAR into Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers. The Cubs center fielder benefits from his exceptional defense, which has him leading MLB in fielding run value (24) and outs above average (22) right now.
Offensively, Ohtani entered play Wednesday batting .293/.397/.539 through 104 games, while Crow-Armstrong had a .284/.384/.535 slash line through 114 games. The plus on-base percentage for the Chicago center fielder is a new part of his game, following a combined .287 OBP across the past two seasons.
With the Dodgers and Cubs both on a path to the postseason, both Ohtani and Crow-Armstrong will continue to be at the forefront of the MVP debate. The fans inside Wrigley Field on Wednesday were given a first-hand opportunity to witness the two stars trade blows out of the chute in a marquee matchup.