Pete Crow-Armstrong can’t be stopped.
If you thought that the Chicago Cubs‘ superstar centerfielder might slow down at some point, you thought wrong.
Take Monday night’s 7-3 Cubs win over the Braves, for example.
PCA went 4-for-5 with four RBI, a run, a double, a home run and a steal.
The homer was a two-run shot in the sixth inning, and Crow-Armstrong raised his season batting average to .281 and OPS to .945.
In the process, he set an all-time MLB record.
PCA Sets MLB Record
Crow-Armstrong now stands alone in one particular statistical combination with the most-ever in a single season.
The criteria: four-plus hits, multiple extra-base hits, and a home run.
PCA has seven such games this season.
No player in the modern era has ever had that many before, via OptaStats:
The hope begins with four hits — a four-hit game is an awesome MLB accomplishment.
It gets more impressive with the extra-base hits, and having multiple in the same game makes a hitter quite dangerours.
And then there’s the home run ball, never easy, but exactly what it takes to land on this criteria list.
There’s no question at this point that Crow-Armstrong has what it takes to break records and be a superstar.
There will just be plenty wondering whether he can achieve one final milestone.
It doesn’t happen much, but a season with 40 home runs and 40 steals would still be a massively impressive accomplishment for a young player like Crow-Armstrong.
So far, he appears to be on pace.
On Monday, Crow-Armstrong’s home run marked his 42nd of the season. So on the 40-40 quest, PCA is already done with half.
He also has 37 stolen bases after swiping second on Monday night.
It’d be a surprise to not see Crow-Armstrong get those final three steals to complete the feat.
There have been very few 40-40 seasons in MLB history. Even as a lot of numbers and moments have gained great notoriety, there’s just not been a lot of guys capable from an all-around standpoint to reach these heights.
Crow-Armstrong, though, is quite capable — and that’s not to mention his overwhelmingly special centerfield defense.
Any Cubs fan looking for a jersey to wear for the next decade should find a Crow-Armstrong one that fits. He isn’t going anywhere.
It’s fun to speculate just how high up the ladder he can go on the potential 40-40 scale, but don’t lose the fun of this.
Crow-Armstrong is trying to make very rare MLB history, and it’s worth appreciating every single moment along the way — especially because even at each step, PCA often seems to be making some more history.
