Each year, one exceptional player from the American League and one from the National League each receive the Major League Baseball (MLB) Most Valuable Player Award (MVP).
It has been given out by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America since 1931.
The award’s official name was changed to the Kenesaw Mountain Landis Memorial Baseball Award in 1944 in memory of the first MLB commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who presided over the league from 1920 until his passing on November 25, 1944.
This designation was given to winners up until the year 2020.
After the BBWAA received complaints from multiple previous MVP winners about the late Commissioner’s participation in the opposition to MLB integration, Landis’ name was removed from the MVP trophy as of 2020.
Although MVP voting occurs prior to the postseason, the results are not made public until the World Series. In 1938, the BBWAA surveyed three writers in each league city; by 1961, that number had dropped to two.
The BBWAA defers to the voters’ judgment on what constitutes “most valuable” rather than providing a precise definition.
The most MVP awards among infielders have gone to first basemen (34), followed by second basemen (16), third basemen (15), and shortstops (15).
The award has been given to 25 pitchers, 15 of whom are right-handed and 10 of whom are left-handed.
The only pitchers with multiple victories are Walter Johnson, Carl Hubbell, and Hal Newhouser, with Newhouser taking home victories in 1944 and 1945.
Alex Rodriguez is the only player to have won the award with two separate teams at two different positions, joining Hank Greenberg, Stan Musial, Robin Yount, and other winners at various positions.
Barry Bonds has the most victories (7 total), including 4 straight victories from 2001 to 2004. The first player to win several times was Jimmie Foxx; ten other players have won three times, and 19 other players have won twice.
Has Anyone Won AL and NL MVP?
Yes. The only player to receive the honor in both the American and National Leagues is Frank Robinson.
