Crow-Armstrong Hits 25th HR in 7-6 Cubs Win to Lead NL MVP Race

Pete Crow-Armstrong recorded two home runs, a double, and four RBIs in a 7-6 victory over the Dodgers to become the betting favorite for the NL MVP award.

Pete Crow-Armstrong surged to the forefront of the NL MVP race on Wednesday, slugging two home runs and a double while driving in four runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The win at Wrigley Field secured a three-game sweep for Chicago against the two-time defending World Series champions. Shohei Ohtani also went deep twice in the contest, finishing with three hits and three RBIs, but his efforts could not prevent the Dodgers from suffering their sixth consecutive loss.

DraftKings odds shifted following the game, installing Crow-Armstrong as the new favorite to win the NL MVP at -120. The Cubs center fielder entered the day trailing Ohtani in the betting markets. While Ohtani has won the last two National League MVP awards and previously earned two in the American League with the Angels, his current inability to pitch due to left knee soreness has impacted the race. Ohtani has not appeared on the mound since early July and remains focused on his role as a designated hitter while undergoing rehabilitation.

Historic Power and Speed at Wrigley Field

Crow-Armstrong and Ohtani both hit home runs to lead off the game, marking only the second time in Wrigley Field history—dating back to 1913—that both teams recorded a leadoff homer in the same contest. In the fourth inning, Crow-Armstrong hit his second blast of the day, reaching 25 home runs for the season. This achievement makes him the first player in Cubs franchise history to record consecutive seasons with at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases.

With 67 career home runs, Crow-Armstrong now holds the second-highest total in Cubs history for a player under the age of 25. He trails only Hall of Famer Ron Santo in that specific statistical category. All three of his hits on Wednesday came against left-hander Eric Lauer, raising his season OPS against left-handed pitching to .937. This represents a significant improvement from his .594 mark against southpaws in 2025. Currently, he maintains a .938 overall OPS and is ranked as the top-rated fielder in the major leagues based on outs above average.

Dodgers Rally Falls Short in Ninth

The Dodgers attempted a late-game comeback in the eighth inning, scoring five runs to narrow the deficit. Ohtani’s second home run of the afternoon fueled the surge, but the Los Angeles offense went down in order in the ninth inning to end the game. The Dodgers now head to Arizona for a weekend series against the second-place Diamondbacks, trailing the Cubs in the season series after the sweep.

Ohtani, who noted that he is working toward getting back on the mound, admitted the schedule for his return to pitching remains difficult to determine. He emphasized that team victories remain his primary focus over individual accolades. Meanwhile, Cubs manager Craig Counsell described Crow-Armstrong’s performance as a season to cherish, though he remained uncertain about how the final award voting would conclude.

The Path to the MVP Award

The final determination for the NL MVP will be made by 30 voters, consisting of two representatives from each National League city at the conclusion of the regular season. Crow-Armstrong acknowledged the excitement surrounding the conversation, stating that while he finds the talk fun to acknowledge, his priorities remain on the team's playoff push. He expressed a desire to face the Dodgers again in October, labeling the current Cubs roster a dangerous group for the postseason.

Despite the individual battle, Crow-Armstrong joked that if the media wanted to continue the back-and-forth comparison with Ohtani, he would need to "get in the lab" and begin pitching to match Ohtani's dual-threat capabilities. The Cubs center fielder noted that having his name mentioned alongside a player as profound as Ohtani is a significant nod to his development this season.