Winning the MVP in the National League is never easy, especially with the challenge the defending Shohei Ohtani brings. However, as the LA Dodgers’ Japanese player enters with the advantage of being a two-way player, another contender has different plans. Pete Crow-Armstrong has joked about what it might take to dethrone him, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle for the race.

“I was telling a few of the guys earlier, ‘Man, I would love to dethrone him,” PCA added, as shared by Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

“But I don’t know how you do it unless I go to a pitching lab in the off-season. I’ll go be a closer or something and see how that helps my odds,” he explained.

PCA has always earned praise for his blazing speed and elite defense in center field. Those parts of the 24-year-old’s game have never really been in doubt, and they continue to make him one of the Chicago Cubs’ most valuable players.

However, in recent times, his offense is also catching up. That complete all-around game has turned him into one of the most dangerous hitters this season.

The Cubs’ standout performer has put together one of the hottest runs in ‌the league over the last 34 games. During the entire stretch, he slashed .367/.451/.734 while crushing 13 home runs and stealing 9 bases. His clutch-hitting power has helped push Chicago toward the top of the National League standings.

PCA currently leads all National League hitters in both ‘Win Probability Added’ and ‘Championship Probability Added’, 2 advanced metrics that measure how much a player’s performance directly affects winning.

Still, as remarkable as PCA has been, his biggest challenge isn’t another position player. It remains the 32-year-old Japanese, whose combination of hitting and pitching continues to make him one-of-a-kind.

This season, Shotime is hitting at a .293 AVG, with 22 homers (tied 10th) and 58 RBIs (tied 25th). And with a .800 win percentage, he holds a 1.79 ERA through the 85.2 innings pitched.

The Dodgers star, who sat out this year’s All-Star Game while recovering from a knee injury but was still voted onto the roster, is widely expected to capture his fourth straight MVP and fifth of his career. Ohtani’s long-term deal with Los Angeles means he’s likely to remain the favorite in the race for years to come, which only raises the degree of difficulty in Crow-Armstrong’s stated plan.