Pete Crow-Armstrong has added another historic accomplishment to a remarkable season for the Chicago Cubs.
The 24-year-old center fielder hit his 40th home run of the season against the Miami Marlins on Sunday, becoming the youngest player in Cubs history to reach 40 homers in a single season.
Crow-Armstrong reached the milestone at 24 years and 165 days old, surpassing Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, who was 24 years and 214 days old when he hit his 40th homer in 1955.
The accomplishment also made Crow-Armstrong the first player in Cubs history to record at least 40 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season. He entered Sunday with 33 steals and remains within reach of an even rarer achievement, a 40-40 season.
Crow-Armstrong Reaches 40 With Powerful Shot
Crow-Armstrong entered Sunday’s game at loanDepot park sitting on 39 home runs.
Facing Marlins right-hander Tyler Phillips in the fifth inning, he attacked a first-pitch 84.7 mph sweeper over the middle of the plate and drove it to right field.
The home run traveled a Statcast-projected 403 feet and left his bat at 111.2 mph, tying the game at 3-3.
Chicago eventually lost 10-3, as Miami scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth and pulled away. Crow-Armstrong finished with two RBIs, while the Cubs still took two of three games in the series.
His individual milestone placed him among some of the most accomplished power hitters in franchise history.
Crow-Armstrong became only the 10th Cubs player to produce a 40-home run season and the first since Derrek Lee hit 46 in 2005. It marked the 20th 40-homer season by a Cubs player overall.
He also joined Billy Williams as the only left-handed hitters in Cubs history to reach 40 home runs in a season. Williams hit 42 in 1970.
Crow-Armstrong Surpasses Ernie Banks
Crow-Armstrong’s age made the accomplishment even more significant.
Banks hit 44 home runs as a 24-year-old in 1955, but Crow-Armstrong reached the 40-homer threshold 49 days younger than Banks was when he accomplished it.
Crow-Armstrong is also only the 13th left-handed hitter in MLB history age 24 or younger to produce a 40-home run season. Cody Bellinger was the most recent before him, hitting 47 for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019.
The power production represents another major step in Crow-Armstrong’s offensive development.
He already became the first Cubs player to record consecutive seasons with at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in August. Reaching 40 homers has pushed that combination of power and speed into territory no Cubs player had previously reached.
A 40-40 Season Remains Within Reach
Crow-Armstrong entered Monday with 40 home runs and 33 stolen bases, leaving him seven steals short of becoming a member of the 40-40 club.
Only six players in MLB history have produced a 40-homer, 40-steal season. Crow-Armstrong has 18 games remaining to attempt to become the seventh.
His overall numbers demonstrate that his season extends well beyond the home-run milestone.
Through Sunday’s game, Crow-Armstrong is hitting .280 with a .374 on-base percentage and .946 OPS, along with 40 home runs, 96 RBIs, 106 runs and 33 stolen bases.
His defense remains another major part of his value. MLB.com lists him as the league leader with +26 Fielding Run Value and 24 Outs Above Average.
Crow-Armstrong also entered the final weeks of the season firmly involved in the National League MVP race. He finished Sunday leading MLB position players in fWAR at 9.6, according to the Chicago Tribune.
He was also named National League Player of the Month for August, his second monthly award of the season after receiving the same honor in June. That made him the first Cubs player to win the award multiple times in one season since the honor was introduced in 1973.
Crow-Armstrong entered September chasing history.
With his 40th home run, he has already made it.
