MVPete: How Cubs Fans Turned Pete Crow-Armstrong Into a Chant
The writers gave Pete Crow-Armstrong the award in November. The bleachers had given him the name by September.
On September 24 at Wrigley Field, Pete Crow-Armstrong walked to lead off the first inning against Miami. On the first pitch to Seiya Suzuki, he took off for second. It was his 40th steal of the season, and with 45 home runs already on the board, he was the first Chicago Cub to put together a 40–40 season. He stood up, lifted his helmet and looked around. In the bleachers, fans held up green flags that read “M-V-Pete.” MLB’s account of the milestone.
That afternoon was the Cubs’ final regular-season home game, and Chicago clinched a Wild Card spot with a 2–1 win. But fans hadn’t waited for either milestone to say the name. On September 16, the crowd was already chanting “M-V-Pete” during his two-homer game against Atlanta. The flags didn’t invent the phrase. They made something the ballpark was already saying visible from center field. Associated Press coverage of the September 16 chant.
That’s what makes this phrase different from an award graphic built around “Unanimous.” One records what the writers decided. The other records what Wrigley sounded like before the writers announced anything. The Chicago Cubs collection has room for both versions of that season.
Why “M-V-Pete” worked in the bleachers
The trick is that the last letter of MVP doubles as the first sound of Pete. Keep the first two beats and let the crowd finish with his name. You don’t need an extra syllable or a new rhythm. And you don’t need to know the final vote to understand what the fans are saying. On the day of his 40th steal, the phrase was both a prediction and a way for Wrigley to tell its center fielder how much it had enjoyed watching him.
“Recently here, I really felt how badly people wanted it for me, and I wanted it.” Pete Crow-Armstrong after reaching 40–40, via Reuters
How the chant made it into the Cubs’ MVP video
Crow-Armstrong finished with 45 home runs and 41 steals. On November 12, the BBWAA announced that he had received all 30 first-place votes, making him the first unanimous MVP in Cubs history. The team could have made its celebration about that number alone. Instead, its video sent a baseball out of Wrigley and across Chicago to Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. In the staged scene, he retrieves it from his windshield and changes its message to “MVPete 2026.” The club took a phrase that already belonged to the bleachers and gave it a route through the city. Official BBWAA ballot and Chicago Sun-Times coverage of the Cubs video.
Why the shirt only needs one word
The black design doesn’t reproduce the green flags. It takes the phrase off the flag and makes a wordmark out of it. An angular red M and blue V lead into silver “Pete,” so the eye can read “MVP” before it finishes the player’s name. There’s no player portrait, trophy or year on the print. That’s fitting for a design about a chant: if the lettering makes you hear the three beats, it’s already done its job.
The trophy belongs to November. The name belongs to the people who were saying it in September. Explore more Pete Crow-Armstrong designs or browse the wider MLB collection.
MVPete and the Wrigley Chant FAQ
What does “MVPete” mean?
“MVPete” combines MVP with Pete Crow-Armstrong’s first name. Cubs fans used it as a chant and displayed it on green flags at Wrigley Field before he won the 2026 NL MVP.
When did Pete Crow-Armstrong reach 40–40 at Wrigley Field?
He stole his 40th base against the Miami Marlins on September 24, 2026. He already had 45 home runs and became the first Cub with a 40–40 season.
Why was Caleb Williams in the Cubs’ MVPete video?
The Cubs used the Bears quarterback in a staged Chicago crossover. He retrieves a baseball that flies out of Wrigley and writes “MVPete 2026” on it.
The red, blue and silver MVPete wordmark captures the Wrigley Field rally cry that followed Pete Crow-Armstrong from his 40–40 milestone to the 2026 NL MVP award.