Craig Counsell is enjoying the ride the Chicago Cubs are on, with Pete Crow-Armstrong leading the way.
Crow-Armstrong keeps building his case for the National League Most Valuable Player Award, and on Wednesday, the star center fielder turned heads again with another stellar performance, leading his team to an 8-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill.
Crow-Armstrong hit not just one but two home runs. He belted his first in the third inning to stretch Chicago’s lead to 2-0 and his second in the seventh inning to give the Cubs a 7-2 advantage. His second dinger appeared to give Cubs manager Counsell goosebumps.
“When he hit the second homer, Alex Bregman was standing next to me,” Cubs manager Counsell said after the game, via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. “I said, ‘Alex, we don’t get to see things like this.’ You spend your whole life in baseball, and you just don’t see this happen on a baseball field. You’re grateful to be a part of it.”
It has been an unforgettable season for Crow-Armstrong, who is widely regarded as the favorite to win the NL MVP trophy.
Crow-Armstrong finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a walk, while improving his 2026 MLB season slashes to .282/.375/.581. His 44 home runs are the second most in the big leagues, one short of Kyle Schwarber’s MLB-leading 45 homers.
The win improved Chicago’s record to 85-68 heading into a series against the Cincinnati Reds that begins on Friday at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.
