Pete Crow-Armstrong becomes MLB’s first 20/20 player this season
BALTIMORE — Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to evolve into one of baseball’s superstars, becoming the first player in the majors to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases this season, while helping keep the Chicago Cubs afloat as a playoff contender.
Crow-Armstrong blasted his 20th and 21st home runs during Wednesday night’s 9-7 win over the Baltimore Orioles, displaying the explosiveness that’s putting his numbers in the franchise record book alongside names such as Sammy Sosa and Ryne Sandberg.
With a naturally powerful left-handed swing and a more disciplined offensive plan, Crow-Armstrong is making it harder on opposing pitchers. He drove one ball onto the concourse above the right-field wall at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and another into the right-center-field seats. Combined, the two splitters he launched off Baltimore starter Dean Kremer traveled an estimated 789 feet.
what’s better than 20 home runs?
21 home runs. pic.twitter.com/EIhTXcJWD1— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 8, 2026
Crow-Armstrong entered the game with 23 stolen bases, leading the team in that category. He’s the first Cub with back-to-back 20/20 seasons since Sosa, who accomplished that feat in three straight seasons between 1993 and 1995.
Besides Sosa and Crow-Armstrong, the only other Cub with multiple 20/20 seasons is Sandberg, the late Hall of Famer who reached those levels in 1985, 1990 and 1991.
“It tells you the start that his career is off to,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s still a very young career. It’s brand new. But he’s doing things that the greats in the game have done.”
Standing at his locker inside the visiting clubhouse after Wednesday’s victory, Crow-Armstrong, 24, shrugged. He referenced his strikeout against Orioles reliever Tyler Wells in the ninth inning.
“I got a lot more baseball to play,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’ll be going home thinking about my last at-bat and how I approach that one if I face him again tomorrow.”
Besides the historical comparisons, Crow-Armstrong also drew a walk that loaded the bases in the seventh-inning sequence that turned into a five-run rally. He already has 42 walks this season, or 13 more than he had during all of last year’s 20/20 campaign, a sign of his growth as a hitter.
“It feels like he’s on everything,” Cubs pitcher Colin Rea said. “Defensively, he’s always there, but to see his approach and see how he’s matured in the box, it’s fun to watch.”
Maybe this MVP-caliber performance will turn out to be unsustainable for an entire season or the majority of his career. But that sense of purpose and routine makes the Cubs confident that Crow-Armstrong can maintain a higher level of production, minimize the inevitable slumps and elevate his teammates.
“No,” Crow-Armstrong said, he did not set any individual goals before the season, in terms of reaching round numbers, earning another All-Star selection or winning his second Gold Glove Award in center field. “Nope, nothing.”
Crow-Armstrong, who agreed to a six-year, $115 million contract extension before Opening Day, wants to keep the focus on the team. He will be the club’s lone representative at next week’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
“The improvement that we’ve seen is so exciting for Cubs fans,” Counsell said. “Watching him play every day, the dugout on the first home run was just kind of shaking their head in amazement at how he’s able to get to that pitch.”