Chicago Cubs: PCA talks up his plan to dethrone Ohtani as MVP

The Chicago Cubs will be returning from the All-Star break with the top National League Wild Card spot and a second place standing in the NL Central Division.

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It’s really been a remarkable season, all things considered. A massive and unprecedented wave of injury to key figures on the pitching staff could’ve easily knocked the wheels off the Cubs’ cart, but the team has, so far, persevered.

A big part of Chicago’s ability to ride out the wave of misfortune is their offense and stellar defense. Chief among the position player assets this year is center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has put together a wild run of dominance—specifically from the end of May to the break—that has him, literally, putting up stats that rival legends such as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

PCA’s wild run

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Since May 30, PCA is hitting .385 with an unreal on base percentage of .474. Overall this season, he’s slashing .291/.386/.531 with an OPS of .917. He’s also notched 21 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases.

Combine that with his elite defense in the outfield, and you have an asset with a 6.0 WAR, according to FanGraphs—tops among dedicated position players. This screams “MVP”—even in a baseball world that has Shohei Ohtani in it.

The move to overtake Ohtani?

On Tuesday in Philadelphia, prior to his second All-Star game appearance, the 24-year-old joked about what it might take to replace the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar as the MVP guy. Ohtani, who missed the All-Star game due to some lingering knee issues, has won MVP recognition three years in a row and four times over the course of his nine-year career. He’s on track to win yet another award this year.

“I was telling a few of the guys earlier, ‘Man, I would love to dethrone him,’ but I don’t know how you do it unless I go to a pitching lab in the offseason,” Crow-Armstrong told media. “I’ll go be a closer or something and see how that helps my odds.”

The 32-year-old Ohtani currently leads all of baseball with a 6.3 WAR, also according to FanGraphs, but he also pulls double duty as a designated hitter and starting pitcher, with his mound work noting for 3 points of his total WAR.

But does PCA stack up against the great Ohtani?

Offensively, yes. The two stars’ numbers are similar. Ohtani has a slash line of .293/.403/.549 and an OPS of .953 with 22 home runs and 58 RBIs. When one factors in Crow-Armstrong’s speed and base stealing prowess, the two are pretty much even when it comes to impact as a position player.

Ohtani’s pitching, though, is what sets him apart, as Crow-Armstrong, who went 1-for-1 in Tuesday’s game, joked about in his remarks.

But there’s a serious debate to be had on whether an elite-level defender playing every day brings as much value to a team’s competitive bottom line as an elite pitcher working every fifth game.

Realistically, though, it’s a long shot that anyone other than Ohtani will win the NL MVP award this season—and, arguably, for the next couple. But if anyone might be able to do it, it’s the still-learning and still-growing Crow-Armstrong, even if he doesn’t become the Cubs’ shutdown closer.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-pete-crow-armstrong-mvp-shohei-ohtani-all-star-game/