Tokens of Appreciation: Twice is Nice

Greetings, baseball nerds! As the first half of the 2026 Major League Baseball season nears to a close and the All-Star Game in Philadelphia just weeks away, there are two players that are worth acknowledging. Both are from the National League and play for different teams. So far, we've seen high scoring games, immaculate pitching gems, and exciting walk-off wins. Most recently, the two players I'll be discussing in this story hit for their first career cycles.

Pete Crow-Armstrong

It's been a good season so far for the Cubs outfielder. Aside from the one incident he was involved with a heckling Chicago White Sox fan last month, he's been putting up very solid numbers since then. On June 15, 2026, Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his first career cycle in a game against the Colorado Rockies. He went 4-for-4 with a double, triple, a home run, and two RBI. If you're unfamiliar with what a cycle is in baseball, it's when a player hits a single, double, triple, and a home run in a single game. The future is definitely bright for PCA as the Cubs are determined to make it to the Postseason. There are now 13 players who have hit for the cycle in Cubs history and PCA is now part of that group. The last Cubs player who has accomplished this was Carson Kelly when he did it back in March 2025. The very first Cubs player to hit for the cycle was Jimmy Ryan in 1888, 20 years before they won the World Series.

Bryce Harper

In his 15th season in Major League Baseball, the first baseman has accomplished a lot during his career by winning a plethora of awards and being named an All-Star many times over. Harper made his MLB debut in 2012 with the Washington Nationals before moving on with the Philadelphia Phillies, which he's been with his current team since 2019. Judging by his stats, he's without a doubt Baseball Hall of Fame worthy. Just days after PCA hit for his first career cycle, the day before Father's Day, he would achieve that same accomplishment. This past Saturday against the New York Mets, he went 4-for-5, with a single, double, triple, a solo home run, three RBI, and two runs scored. The Phillies won that game by a score of 15-3. It was also the 11th cycle in Phillies history. The last Phillies players who hit for the cycle was Weston Wilson back in 2024. The very first Phillies player in history who hit for the cycle was Lave Cross in 1894. Back in February, I wrote a story on here about him taking offense of General Manager Dave Dombrowski's remarks regarding his performance. However, Dombrowski was being brutally honest about Harper, stating at the time that he needed to meet the organization's standards. Harper took it as a personal attack towards him, when it really wasn't. Fast forward to now, I believe that Bryce took Dombrowski's advice to heart and has drastically improved. Sure, many people dislike him because of his attitude and seen as being as an overrated player. I don't hate Bryce Harper, but sometimes his attitude rubs me the wrong way. He's a talented player and has worked hard to get to where he is today. The Phillies started this season poorly, but after the firing of Rob Thomson and Don Mattingly being named interim manager, they've tremendously turned things around. They're poised to make it to the Postseason yet again, but will their huge turnaround translate into a World Series title? That would be a story I'd love to see being made into a reality. It's been nearly two decades since the Phillies last won a championship, so their devoted fans are hoping and dreaming that their team's one shining moment will finally come true.

Here are some fun facts about cycles:

• The first officially recognized cycle was accomplished back in May 1882 by Curry Foley of the Buffalo Bisons. That was the same year Major League Baseball recognized it as a statistic.
• Six players currently hold the MLB record for most career cycles with three each. Those names include Hall of Famer Adrián Beltré, Trea Turner, and Christian Yelich.
• If case you were wondering if any MLB player hit for the cycle more than once in a single season, the answer to this question is yes. The most current player who had accomplished this feat was Christian Yelich back in 2018. Not only that, but he was also the first in MLB history to do this twice against the same opponent, which happened to be the Cincinnati Reds.

Players hitting for the cycle is rare, but both Pete Crow-Armstrong and Bryce Harper accomplishing this feat in the same week was something that their respective fanbase were excited to witness.