The era of Shohei Ohtani is over! The protagonist, 24-year-old PCA, ends four consecutive years of dominance with the rare '45 home runs and 40 stolen bases' feat — a milestone achieved by only three players in MLB history. U.S. experts now say he is "de facto MVP."

*This content was translated by AI.

A new contender has emerged for the Major League Baseball (MLB) Most Valuable Player (MVP) title, which Shohei Ohtani (32, Los Angeles Dodgers) had nearly monopolized. The protagonist is just 24-year-old Pete Crow-Armstrong (24, Chicago Cubs), referred to hereafter as PCA.

On the 25th (Korean time), during a home game against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA, PCA reached base via a walk in the bottom of the first inning and immediately stole second base.

This marked his 40th stolen base of the season. Having already hit 45 home runs, PCA became only the seventh player in MLB history to achieve 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season — and the first Chicago Cubs player to do so. The Cubs also secured their playoff berth with a 2-1 victory on this day.

PCA continued to add hits and stolen bases, finishing the regular season with a .279 batting average (174 hits in 624 at-bats) across 161 games, along with 45 home runs, 107 RBIs, 119 runs scored, 41 stolen bases, a .372 on-base percentage, a .571 slugging percentage, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.943 — bringing him even closer to the MVP award.

According to MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, the MVP race had already heavily favored PCA even before he completed his 40-40 feat. On the 22nd, MLB.com released the results of its final mock MVP voting for the season. All 38 participating experts voted PCA as the top choice for the National League (NL) MVP. PCA received 190 points, while Ohtani received 135. MLB.com stated, "There is no longer any question about PCA winning the NL MVP. At this point, it is practically his award."

The reasons why the MVP race has tilted in PCA's favor become even clearer when compared to Ohtani. This season, Ohtani recorded a .279 batting average (141 hits in 508 at-bats) over 136 games, with 30 home runs, 80 RBIs, 89 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases. His on-base percentage was .381, slugging percentage .520, and OPS 0.901. As a hitter alone, he remains among the league's elite.

However, PCA outperforms Ohtani significantly in key categories such as home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases, despite having nearly the same batting average. Moreover, unlike Ohtani, who plays as a designated hitter, PCA excels defensively at center field — one of the most critical positions in baseball.

Injury proved decisive for Ohtani. After returning to his two-way role this season, he delivered an overwhelming performance on the mound: 8 wins and 2 losses with a 1.79 ERA over 14 games, striking out 95 batters in 85⅔ innings. However, persistent left knee pain and issues with his right biceps eventually forced him to stop pitching after July 3. By September, both injuries had worsened, placing him on the injured list. The Dodgers ultimately abandoned any plans for Ohtani's return as a pitcher for the remainder of the regular season.

Meanwhile, PCA crafted one of the most remarkable seasons in baseball history. Only seven players have ever achieved 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season: Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Ronald Acuña Jr., Shohei Ohtani, and now PCA.

If the standard is raised to 45 home runs and 40 stolen bases, only three players have achieved this feat: Soriano in 2006 (46 HR, 41 SB), Ohtani in 2024 (54 HR, 59 SB), and PCA this year (45 HR, 41 SB). Just two years after Ohtani broke new ground by becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases, PCA has joined him with another rare milestone.

Ohtani had already carved out a unique path in MVP history. After winning the American League MVP in 2023 while playing for the Los Angeles Angels, he moved to the Dodgers and claimed the NL MVP title in both 2024 and 2025 — achieving three consecutive MVP awards across leagues. Had he won again this year, he would have extended his unprecedented streak to four straight MVPs.

However, with PCA leading the Cubs to the postseason through his 45 home runs, 41 stolen bases, and elite center field defense, it is now highly likely that Ohtani's era of dominance has come to an end.

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*This content was translated by AI.