Ohtani in 2024 turned in one of the greatest individual years in baseball history, becoming the first player ever to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.He won the MVP award.
In 2025, he followed it up by hitting 55 home runs, stealing 20 bases, scoring 146 runs and, oh yeah, putting up a 2.87 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 47 innings.He won the MVP award.
Unanimously.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.All that's to say that it takes a special season by anyone to overcome Ohtani's unique contributions as top 2-3 hitter and a Cy Young-caliber pitcher on the mound.That type of special season is exactly what Pete Crow-Armstrong turned in for the Chicago Cubs.CUBS LEGEND SAMMY SOSA SPEAKS PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG'S THREE-HOME RUN GAME AGAINST REDS INTO EXISTENCECHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 16: Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Rate Field on May 16, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.
(Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images) ((Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images))PCA, as he's more commonly known, was a top prospect in the Mets organization and had a solid 2024 as a part-time player after coming over to Chicago.In 2025, he demonstrated a rare combination of power and speed, with 31 home runs and 35 steals.
But his swing and miss tendencies and low walk rate kept him from superstardom.That all changed in 2026.Crow-Armstrong started slowly, but as the weather warmed up, became an unstoppable force.
His walk rate skyrocketed from just 4.5% in 2025 to 11.4% in 2026.A jump in bat speed, from 72.7 mph in 2025 to 75.1 mph in 2026 proved vital, as his average exit velocity moved up over a full mph to 90.6 and his hard hit percentage increased to an exceptional 48.6%.Those are good numbers a...