In 2023, Ronald Acuña Jr. won the NL MVP unanimously — all 30 first-place votes — hitting .337 with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases. He was the first player in MLB history to reach the 40-70 club, and he led the majors in runs scored, hits, and total bases. In 2026, Pete Crow-Armstrong has 39 home runs, is hitting .279, and carries an 8.6 WAR as the NL MVP frontrunner. The media coverage surrounding PCA this September is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. The coverage Acuña got during his MVP run? Also unlike anything we’d seen — just in the opposite direction.
What the Tweet Said — and What the Numbers Show
On September 5, 2026, Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) posted a direct side-by-side comparison using Stathead Baseball. His point was simple: Acuña’s 2023 season was better than PCA’s 2026, but the level of media sensationalism isn’t even close — and it all favors the Cubs center fielder.
The numbers in the image Clark shared back that up clearly. Acuña topped PCA in batting average (.337 vs. .279), OBP, slugging (.596), OPS, OPS+ (171 vs. 157), and stolen bases (73 vs. 33). The one category where PCA leads? WAR — 8.6 to 8.4. And there’s important context behind that gap.
Why the Offensive Comparison Clearly Favors Acuña
This isn’t a knock on PCA. Through September 6, 2026, he has 39 home runs, 94 RBI, and 105 runs scored. Statcast has him at a 90.3 mph average exit velocity, a 48.7% hard-hit rate, and a .401 wOBA. Those are legitimate MVP numbers, especially with Shohei Ohtani out of the pitching rotation since July 3 due to knee and biceps injuries.
But when you stack the two offensive seasons side by side, there isn’t much debate. Acuña’s 2023 was better in almost every category that measures what a hitter actually does at the plate. A .337 average, .596 slugging, and 73 stolen bases — at a time when 30 steals already qualifies as a standout season — added up to something MLB had never seen. His 171 OPS+ means his offensive production was 71% above the league average that year. PCA’s 157 OPS+ in 2026 is also exceptional — but it’s 14 points lower.
The only way PCA «wins» the comparison is by using total WAR, which folds in defense. And that’s worth spelling out: WAR is not an offensive metric. An elite center fielder accumulates defensive value that a right fielder simply cannot match. Putting both WARs in the same line without that context is the statistical version of comparing apples to oranges.
The Media Circus — the Elephant in the Room
Clark’s tweet hit on something Latino MLB fans have been discussing for weeks: the coverage PCA has received in August and September 2026 — ESPN, Fox Sports, The Washington Post, CBS Sports, appearances on the Pat McAfee Show — doesn’t have a clear equivalent in how English-language media covered Acuña during his MVP run in 2023.
The uncomfortable question is whether the difference is about scale, tone, or something else entirely. What can be said without speculation: Acuña won the MVP unanimously with a season that redefined what’s possible in a single year in the big leagues. The major outlets covered it — MLB.com, SI, CBS Sports all documented it. But the level of «circus» Clark describes, with entertainment shows and massive social media presence, wasn’t what surrounded Acuña during those months.
Attributing that gap entirely to racial or national bias would require more quantitative evidence than currently exists. What is a verifiable fact is the statistical contrast: the season that generated less noise was, offensively, the better one.
Where Acuña Stands in 2026
Acuña himself isn’t at his peak this year — .251 average and 16 home runs in 90 games make that clear. But his contact quality remains elite. Here’s what Statcast shows across his 392 plate appearances in 2026:
- AVG: .251
- OPS: .781
- xwOBA: .362 — 90th percentile (elite)
- Average exit velocity: 90.4 mph
- Barrel rate: 12.4% — 81st percentile
- Hard-hit rate: 45.8% — 79th percentile
- Bat speed: 75.9 mph — 91st percentile (elite)
- Squared-up rate: 11th percentile (one of the lowest in MLB)
The radar still lights up. The results haven’t fully caught up to the quality of contact — yet. But the numbers, not the opinions, are what ultimately validate greatness. And in 2023, they validated one of the best offensive seasons this sport has ever seen.
