Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong deserves MVP over Shohei Ohtani, per analyst

Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has seemingly turned the corner in his development and is now a full-fledged elite-level ball player.

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The talent was always there, of course, but there were just some general rough patches and maturity issues that kept the young star from becoming fully actualized. Now, however, the 24-year-old appears to have become the force he was meant to be.

“PCA” is no longer the wild-swinging dynamo hacking at everything even remotely close to the plate—and sometimes not close to the plate. This 2026 version has almost tripled his walk rate from 2025 and is now getting better cuts at better pitches because of it. The demonstrative displays of frustration after a bad at bat are now a thing of the past—in part because there are fewer bad at bats.

He’s upped his game to such a degree that he’s now being mentioned as a real competitor to Shohei Ohtani for National League MVP.

M-V-Pete?

Chicago Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong — Jun 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) reacts after hitting a walk off RBI single against the Oakland Athletics during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Actually, to many, he deserves the nod over Ohtani, who’s won MVP honors in four of the last five seasons (twice with the Angels and twice with the Dodgers) and has been the favorite to get the award again this season. The 32-year-old Japanese star is hard to vote against as an elite level hitter as well as pitcher, although a knee injury has kept him from pitching since early July.

FOX analyst Danny Parkins recently made the case for Crow-Armstrong during a segment on First Things First:

“If the [NL MVP] voting were held today, my vote would go to PCA,” Parkins said. “Ohtani is the best player in baseball. He’s a two-way superstar. The problem for his MVP case this year is he hasn’t pitched since July 3.

“Now, if he returns to the mound soon, pitches effectively and helps the Dodgers secure the top seed in the National League, I reserve the right to change my mind.”

Parkins’ argument makes sense. Stacked against one another, the two players have almost identical offensive stats. The difference being that the banged-up Ohtani is now working as a slowed-down DH while PCA is delivering defensively as a Gold Glove center fielder and stealing bases at a high rate.

A more valuable asset?

Shohei Ohtani, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers — Oct 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) walks against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning during game four of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There’s also the argument that Crow-Armstrong is, literally, a more valuable asset contributing to the success of his team than Ohtani.

“And then I’ll turn to the ‘V’ in ‘MVP’: value,” Parkins added. “PCA has helped carry the Cubs through a season in which over a dozen pitchers have spent time on the injured list. Meanwhile, Ohtani is playing on a superteam with a payroll that exceeds Chicago’s by over $170 million. All that extra help, and the Cubs just swept the Dodgers last week. They have just two fewer wins than L.A. on the season.”

There’s definitely a case to be made for PCA. But no matter who wins the NL MVP this season, Crow-Armstrong’s growth is undeniable, as is his value to the Cubs.

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