Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong are pushing each other to be even better

Following the Cubs' series with the Detroit Tigers, five players on the team sit at double-digit home runs.

Michael Busch (10), Dansby Swanson (11), and Kyle Tucker (12) have all provided essential pop to a lineup that sits fifth in MLB in home runs (88). Without their combined 33 blasts, it's hard to know where the Cubs would be.

Of course, the same could and should be said for Seiya Suzuki (16) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (17), who have also combined to hit 33 home runs. Though it's actually Busch (152 wRC+) and Tucker (.899 OPS) who are leading the catch-all stats, Suzuki and PCA aren't far behind.

The tandem of outfielders — who have a self-described relationship akin to brothers — aren't just breaking out at the same time this year. They're challenging each other to get even better.

Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong competing in home runs, RBIs race

During the Tigers series, Suzuki closed the gap on PCA's team-home run lead by hitting two (Crow-Armstrong hit one), nearly evening up the competition with the center fielder.

Speaking of, both players acknowledged that they do have a friendly competition going on in the home run category following the team's win on Saturday over the Tigers.

“Yeah,” Crow-Armstrong said, acknowledging the competitive nature of their relationship, per Cubs.com, “and then a little bit of like rubbing it in his face when I’m just a little bit ahead. If that’s any real motivation outside of what we want to do here, then that’s great and that’s fun. It’s light-hearted stuff, so that’s good for me. Seiya, he happens to bring that out of me."

As far as Cubs fans are concerned, this is about as "healthy" of a competition as a clubhouse can have. Both players have been big-time offensive contributors in their previous stops, but their collective production in 2025 has been nothing short of season-altering.

By proxy of their power output, the two are also competing for the National League RBI crown, where they rank second (Suzuki, 55) and third (Crow-Armstrong, 54), behind only Pete Alonso (61).

Again, this is all in good fun, though it is nice to see that Suzuki has taken to a mentorship role of Crow-Armstrong. Though his apprentice may have overtaken him in national popularity at this point, Suzuki is well aware of managing high expectations and raucous crowds after earning five All-Star selections in the NPB.

Suzuki, of course, is the steadier player, while PCA is the streaky, highlight-reel afficiando. In the same way they complement each other's play styles, hopefully they'll also infuse each other with some of their best traits.

So long as both players are in the lineup on a daily basis, the Cubs should be sitting pretty atop the National League Central.