Pete Crow-Armstrong is giving Shohei Ohtani something almost nobody else can

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Shohei Ohtani has spent the last several years changing the way people think about baseball greatness. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is once again the favorite to win the National League MVP Award, producing elite numbers both at the plate and on the mound in a season unlike anything the sport has ever seen.

But as the second half of the season begins, one player has quietly turned himself into a legitimate challenger. Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has transformed an outstanding season into a true MVP campaign. According to ESPN's latest MLB Awards Watch, he's the closest player to catching Ohtani in the National League race.

That alone says plenty considering the standard Ohtani continues to set.

Pete Crow-Armstrong's incredible June changed the MVP race

Crow-Armstrong has always been known for his speed and elite defense. Now, he's becoming one of baseball's most dangerous hitters too.

According to ESPN, the Cubs star put together one of the best stretches in the majors over his last 34 games. He slashed .367/.451/.734 while blasting 13 home runs and stealing nine bases.

It wasn't just the numbers that stood out. It was when they happened. Crow-Armstrong repeatedly came through in big moments, helping push the Cubs toward the top of the National League standings. ESPN noted that he currently leads all National League hitters in both Win Probability Added and Championship Probability Added, two metrics designed to measure how much a player's performance directly contributes to winning games.

He's no longer just one of baseball's most exciting young players. He's become one of its best.

His defense continues to make him different

Even before the offensive breakout, Crow-Armstrong had already established himself as one of the game's premier defensive center fielders. His range allows him to chase down balls that most outfielders simply can't reach, and his instincts routinely save runs for the Cubs.

ESPN highlighted another eye-opening number. According to Baseball Reference, Crow-Armstrong has already saved 12 runs above average with his defense this season. That's a huge reason why his overall value remains so high.

Some MVP candidates rely almost entirely on what they do with the bat. Crow-Armstrong impacts games every inning. Whether it's making a spectacular catch, stealing a base or delivering a clutch hit, he's constantly finding ways to help the Cubs win.

That complete skill set has elevated him into a different class of player.

Ohtani is still chasing history

As great as Crow-Armstrong has been, his biggest obstacle isn't another position player. It's Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers superstar continues doing things that simply haven't been done before.

According to ESPN, Ohtani remains on pace to finish with more than five WAR as both a hitter and a pitcher in the same season. No player in Major League Baseball history has ever accomplished that.

It's hard to overstate just how remarkable that is. Every MVP candidate is essentially competing against a player filling two All-Star roles at once. That makes Crow-Armstrong's rise even more impressive.

One ESPN observation says everything

Perhaps the most interesting takeaway from ESPN's latest rankings wasn't that Ohtani still sits at No. 1. It was what came next. ESPN pointed out that if Ohtani's pitching value wasn't part of the MVP conversation, Crow-Armstrong would actually be leading the race.

Think about that for a moment.

In almost any other season, Crow-Armstrong's combination of offense, defense and baserunning would likely make him the favorite to win the National League MVP. Instead, he's chasing a player putting together one of the most unique seasons baseball has ever witnessed.

That doesn't diminish what Crow-Armstrong is doing. If anything, it highlights just how special his season has become.

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The Cubs have another superstar

Chicago believed Crow-Armstrong could become a franchise cornerstone. He's developing into exactly that. His offensive growth hasn't happened by accident. ESPN noted that his plate discipline has taken a major step forward, with his walk rate more than doubling from last season as his approach at the plate continues to mature.

He's making better swing decisions, hitting the ball with more authority and forcing pitchers to attack him differently than they did a year ago. When those improvements are combined with Gold Glove-level defense and elite speed, the result is one of the most complete players in the sport.

At just 24 years old, Crow-Armstrong looks like someone the Cubs can build around for a long time.

This MVP race is far from over

There's still plenty of baseball left to play, and Ohtani remains the favorite for another MVP trophy. But Crow-Armstrong has made the conversation much more interesting than many expected just a few weeks ago. If he continues producing at this level while helping keep the Cubs in the playoff hunt, he'll continue giving voters something to think about.

Even if Ohtani ultimately wins the award, Crow-Armstrong has already accomplished something very few players have managed over the last several years. He's turned what looked like a one-man race into a genuine MVP debate.