It was another big afternoon for Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. The National League MVP favorite homered thrice in the Cubs’ 17-5 beatdown of the Cincinnati Reds. Crow-Armstrong spoke about his performance and a Cubs legend who saw it coming.
“Sammy did say I was going to hit three today,” Crow-Armstrong told Marquee Sports Network’s Taylor McGregor after the game. “Sammy Sosa said I’d hit three, and I hit three.”
Crow-Armstrong then said to put that quote on the record, to a chuckling McGregor.
The win helps keep the Cubs firmly in control of home-field advantage for the Wild Card series. Under the current bracket, they would host the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field.
Chicago remains one game up in the loss column over Philadelphia.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Closing on First MVP Award
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 2026 breakout could have him on track to win the first MVP Award of his career. After that onslaught, he’s slashing .282/.377/.567 with those 36 home runs. His 158 wRC+ leads all National League hitters and is second only to the Houston Astros‘ Yordan Alvarez.
Just being the NL’s most productive hitter is enough for MVP consideration. He also adds elite defense and strong baserunning to the table. Crow-Armstrong is in contention for a Platinum Glove, given to the best defensive player in each league.
FanGraphs has him by far the best player in MLB in terms of Wins Above Replacement. His 8.6 fWAR entering play is 1.7 wins ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Shohei Ohtani’s 6.9, the game’s greatest two-way player.
The Cubs center fielder is now up to 36 home runs and 32 stolen bases in the 2026 season. He’s closing in on a 40-homer, 40-steal season, which has only happened six times in MLB history.
Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves was the last, doing so just three seasons ago. Acuna unanimously won the MVP Award that season, despite a tighter race with Mookie Betts.
If Crow-Armstrong wins the MVP Award, he’ll be the first Cub to do so since Kris Bryant in 2016. Bryant helped break the franchise’s 108-year championship drought.
Sammy Sosa Named to Cubs 150th Anniversary Team
Sammy Sosa was in town to celebrate being named to the Cubs’ 150th anniversary team. He was on the Marquee Sports Network’s pregame segment of the broadcast to talk about his career.
The last couple of years have served as Sosa’s return to good graces with the franchise. Sosa is the only player in MLB history with three 60-homer seasons, although his relationship has soured since the star outfielder was tied to performance-enhancing drugs.
Before the game, Sosa passed his prediction onto Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has become the leading star of the Cubs.
Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong Cites Unlikely Inspiration for 3-Homer Game After Reds Win