Pete Crow-Armstrong enters 40-40 club as Chicago Cubs clinch playoff spot

Crow-Armstrong reaches 40-40

Pete Crow-Armstrong drew a seven-pitch walk against Miami Marlins starter Tyler Phillips in the first inning on Thursday at Wrigley Field. On the next pitch to Seiya Suzuki, Crow-Armstrong stole second base to record his 40th stolen base in 47 attempts. The 24-year-old outfielder entered the game with 45 home runs, making him the seventh player in MLB history to record 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season. Crow-Armstrong has played in all 159 games for Chicago this season, batting.280 with 107 RBIs and 119 runs scored while pushing the Cubs to a 2-1 victory before a home crowd of 35,410.

“That was the most emotion I think I've ever experienced on a baseball field. It wasn't relief, it wasn't anxiety. It was a sense of gratitude.”

Company in the 40-40 club

Crow-Armstrong joins Jose Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006), Ronald Acuña Jr. (2023), and Shohei Ohtani (2024) in the 40-40 group. Crow-Armstrong hit his 40th home run over Labor Day weekend in Miami, joining Billy Williams as the only left-handed hitters in Cubs history with 40 home runs in a season. His 45th home run arrived on Sunday during a 9-1 victory in Cincinnati, tying Philadelphia outfielder Kyle Schwarber for the league lead. Crow-Armstrong is also the first player in franchise history to achieve the 40-40 mark.

Chicago secures wild-card berth

Seiya Suzuki added a solo home run to support the Cubs (88-71) in locking up one of three National League wild-card berths with three games left in the regular season. The playoff appearance is Chicago's second in a row, following a 2025 postseason run in which the club defeated San Diego in the first round before falling to Milwaukee in the Division Series. This represents the first time Chicago has reached consecutive postseasons since a four-year streak from 2015 to 2018. Across town, the Chicago White Sox secured their own playoff berth Thursday with a 9-1 victory at Kansas City, creating only the fourth season in which both Chicago clubs reached October baseball after 1906, 2008, and 2020.

“I've seen a lot of winning here. It's been a rollercoaster but the resilience of this group and our ability to get through it speaks volumes.”

Roster hurdles and final series

Chicago achieved the postseason berth following a turbulent regular season that featured two 10-game winning streaks, one 10-game losing streak, 28 blown saves, and 43 comeback wins. The club produced a 20-3 record from April 14 to May 8 before slipping into a 2-14 stretch. Third baseman Alex Bregman sustained facial bone fractures from a foul ball in the on-deck circle on Sunday in Cincinnati, though he continues to lobby to play before the playoffs begin. The Cubs open their final regular-season series at Fenway Park on Friday with a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, moved forward due to severe weather in the Northeast forecast, as Chicago battles Philadelphia and San Diego for wild-card seeding and home-field advantage.

“Hasn't been all smooth, but you develop some calluses through that and I think it gets you through a lot of stuff.”