Ranking Pete Crow-Armstrong's historic 2026 season among greatest years in Cubs history

It seems like every day, Pete Crow-Armstrong does something we've never seen before. As he closes in on the first 40/40 season in Chicago Cubs history and the first National League MVP Award the franchise has seen since Kris Bryant a decade ago, now feels like as good a time as any to see how his 2026 campaign stacks up against some all-time greats.

Over the last 150 years, there have been some truly incredible seasons turned in by Cubs legends. Sammy Sosa remains the only player to hit 60+ home runs in three different years. Ernie Banks is 'Mr. Cub' for a reason, Fergie Jenkins did things we'll never again see from a pitcher and Ron Santo did it all at the hot corner, winning five Gold Gloves and earning nine All-Star selections.

So let's jump right in and see how PCA stacks up.

Pete Crow-Armstrong's historic 2026 measures up with Cubs legends

5) Fergie Jenkins - 1971

Look, I've always loved a good pitcher's duel and am fully aware I sound like the old man yelling at the clouds when I daydream about the times starters worked deep into ballgames just about every time out.

But even knowing that bias, when you look back at Fergie Jenkins' 1971 season, no one can deny it's the stuff of legends. The Canadian-born right-hander led the league in wins, starts, complete games, innings pitched, and strikeout-to-walk ratio. Thirty of his 39 starts were complete game efforts. No pitcher in all of baseball this year has thrown more than one. A Cubs pitcher hasn't even completed eight innings once, either.

It's not just the volume of work, either. Jenkins carried a 2.38 FIP (2.77 ERA) in 325 innings of work en route to National League Cy Young honors. For my generation, Jake Arrieta's 2015 will always be the high-water mark in terms of a starting pitcher taking things to the next level - but even that dominance pales in comparison to what Jenkins did in 1971.

4) Ernie Banks - 1959

Ernie Banks won back-to-back MVP awards in 1958 and 1959 and, in the next stop on this list, we're going to dig a little deeper on that '59 season. The 28-year-old did it all for the North Siders that year, leading all of baseball with 10.2 bWAR, playing in 155 games and driving in 143 runs. Opposing pitchers feared him (he also led the league in intentional walks) and he was the centerpiece of the Cubs' lineup.

In a testament to another bygone era, Banks walked nearly as many times as he struck out (72 strikeouts to 64 walks) in nearly 700 plate appearances. He was the perfect combination of all-around power and bat control and, although he never got to shine in October, was the epitome of a high-powered performer not only in 1959, but during his entire 19-year Cubs career.

3) Sammy Sosa - 2001

When baseball fans think of Sammy Sosa's best seasons, 1998 understandably comes to mind. After all, that was the summer of the Great Home Run Race between the Cubs outfielder and Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire - and the former went on to win NL MVP at season's end.

But, by many measures, his 2001 showing was even more legendary. He became just the third National League player since 1900 to eclipse 160 RBI in a season, and popped 64 home runs, which gave him a special place in baseball history (although he was overshadowed by Barry Bonds' 73-homer campaign).

Sosa finished the year at 10.3 bWAR with an MLB-best 146 runs, 160 runs batted in and 425 total bases. He was a distant runner-up to Bonds in the NL MVP race in what amounted to the best season of his career and one of the best in Cubs history.

2) Rogers Hornsby - 1929

This is very much an apples and oranges-type situation. Baseball has changed so much in the last century. Even so, we'd be remiss to overlook Rogers Horsnby's greatness in 1929.

We're making a big fuss (and rightfully so) about PCA notching a 10.0-WAR season this year. Hornsby had seven such seasons in his career, although only one - his 1929 campaign - came in a Cubs uniform. That year, he stood atop the baseball world, posting 10.6 bWAR en route to MVP honors with a staggering stat line.

Hornsby slashed .380/.459/.679 across 712 plate appearances, smacking 39 home runs and driving in 149. He bagged 229 hits - including 47 doubles for good measure. The Chicago second baseman put together a season many doubted could ever be topped: but that's exactly what we've gotten from Crow-Armstrong in 2026.

1) Pete Crow-Armstrong - 2026

This story isn't yet over. With more than a week left in the 2026 regular season, Pete Crow-Armstrong is putting the finishing touches on his masterful campaign.

Entering action Tuesday, the All-Star center fielder led the league in games played, plate appearances, runs and total bases - and paced the Senior Circuit in slugging percentage and OPS. The presumptive NL MVP is closing in on the first 40/40 season in Cubs history, which would make him just the seventh 40/40 player in baseball history.

What separates his season from other legendary performances is how he's done it. He's translated major adjustments at the plate into an unprecedented breakout offensively, and he's done so without sacrificing his Gold Glove-caliber defense and elite baserunning prowess. We're witnessing something truly special and, regardless of how things shake out for the 2026 Cubs, this has been the Summer of PCA in Wrigleyville.

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