As the season draws to a close and MLB gears up for October baseball, Pete Crow-Armstrong has made a name for himself as one of the most dynamic players in the league. At only 24 years old, the season PCA has put together shows just how high his ceiling can be. From elite speed on the basepaths and Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field to exceptional power at the plate, Crow-Armstrong has showcased nearly every tool a player can possess. His 2026 season has not only established him as one of baseball’s brightest young stars, but also placed him firmly among the game’s most complete players.

A New National League MVP

For the first time in the Shohei Ohtani Dodgers era, there is a legitimate new frontrunner for the National League MVP, something I never expected to see this soon after Ohtani signed his 10-year contract in 2023. Pete Crow-Armstrong has put together one of the most complete seasons in recent MLB history, becoming only the seventh player ever to join the 40/40 club while pairing elite offensive production with arguably the best defensive skills in center field in baseball.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has accumulated roughly 10 WAR this season, meaning his overall performance has been worth about 10 more wins than that of a replacement-level player. What makes the season even more remarkable is the balance between both sides of his game. His defense has remained elite, while his offensive development has transformed him into one of baseball’s most valuable all-around players.

Through 161 games, PCA has recorded 174 hits and a league-leading 119 runs, along with 45 home runs, 107 RBIs, 83 walks and 41 stolen bases. He has produced a .278/.372/.570 slash line with a .942 OPS. If Crow-Armstrong ultimately wins the award, he would become the first National League center fielder to win MVP since Andrew McCutchen did so with Pittsburgh in 2013.

He leads the league in games played, WAR, plate appearances, runs, home runs, slugging, OPS and OPS+. The road to MVP once seemed out of reach, with much of the conversation coming into the year centered around whether Juan Soto could take the award away from Shohei Ohtani. But after an injury-riddled stretch for some of the league’s biggest stars, Pete Crow-Armstrong emerged on top and completely changed the conversation.

A big reason why PCA is now viewed as an MVP favorite, and why he has accumulated nearly 10 WAR, is because of his defense.

I did a deep dive into his 10-WAR season because I wanted to find out how much of that value is coming from the glove and how much is coming from the bat. WAR is not something that can be split perfectly into offense and defense, but based on the offensive and defensive values that go into the stat, roughly two-thirds of PCA’s overall value has come from his offense and baserunning, while about one-third can be tied to his defense and positional value.

That would put roughly three wins of value on his glove alone.

Statcast, which is one of the best ways to compare and rank defensive specialists, grades PCA’s 2026 season as elite. He has recorded 25 Outs Above Average, which ranks first in MLB, while also producing around +27 runs of fielding value. About 23 of those runs come strictly from his range.

The biggest thing to say here is just how much ground he covers.

Statcast also has PCA with around a 96% success rate on catch opportunities compared to an expected rate of roughly 89%. Not only is he outperforming what the underlying numbers expect him to do, but he is doing it with flying colors. His glove has saved close to 27 runs compared to the average defender.

The directional numbers make it even crazier. PCA has recorded around 12 Outs Above Average going back from his stance and another 14 coming in. That means he is not just good at tracking balls over his head or coming in on shallow fly balls. He is covering basically every part of center field and making plays most outfielders simply cannot get to.

That is where his MVP case becomes so interesting.

We talk a lot about his home runs, speed and overall offensive breakout, but the defense is what separates him from most players putting up big offensive seasons. There are a lot of players who can hit. There are a lot of players who can play great defense. There are very few who can do both at this level.

Compared to Shohei Ohtani’s 50/50 season or Ronald Acuña Jr.’s power-speed season, I do not necessarily think PCA’s year needs to be viewed the exact same way. Those seasons were historic for different reasons. But the rarity of what PCA is doing should still be recognized.

He is giving you elite speed, exceptional power and arguably the best center-field defense in baseball all in the same season.

Without PCA controlling center field every night, who knows where the Cubs would be right now. His bat has helped put him in the MVP conversation, but his glove is a major reason he has reached the 10-WAR threshold and become one of the most valuable players in baseball.