Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs, widely regarded as a leading contender for the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in Major League Baseball (MLB), has launched three home runs in a single game.

Starting as the leadoff hitter and center fielder in a home game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, on the 30th (Korea time), Crow-Armstrong put on a stellar performance, going 4-for-6 with three home runs, six RBIs, and four runs scored.

He blasted a home run right from his first plate appearance in the bottom of the first inning.

Batting as the leadoff man, Crow-Armstrong launched a solo shot to right field.

With the Cubs leading 4-2 in the bottom of the second with one runner on second base, he cleared the right-field wall once again for back-to-back home runs.

After adding a single to right field in the bottom of the fourth, Crow-Armstrong clubbed his third home run in the bottom of the seventh with one out and runners on first and second, extending the team's lead to 10-5.

This time, it was a three-run blast over the center-field wall.

Spurred by Crow-Armstrong's first career three-homer game since making his MLB debut, the Cubs secured a commanding 17-5 victory.

This season, Crow-Armstrong is batting .282 with 36 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases across 136 games.

He has achieved the 30-home run, 30-stolen base mark for the second consecutive year and hit for the cycle—collecting a single, double, triple, and home run—in a game against the Colorado Rockies on June 16.

Notably, with his three home runs on this day, his total number of games this season with 10 or more total bases increased to five.

This ties him for the second-most such games in a single season in MLB history, following Nelson Cruz, who recorded six in 2019.

Crow-Armstrong's recent surge is expected to heat up the National League MVP race even further.

He is evaluated as having taken a step ahead in the MVP race against Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who has recently been unable to pitch due to a knee injury.

Ohtani has recorded a .283 batting average with 30 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases as a hitter this season, alongside an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA as a pitcher.

MLB.com reported, "Crow-Armstrong receives high marks not only for his hitting but also for his defense," adding, "Ohtani has recently been unable to pitch due to injury, and if this situation continues, it will work to Crow-Armstrong's advantage."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)