Staying elite in MLB for multiple years? That’s one of the toughest things to pull off in sports.
While the NBA and NFL tend to see the same superstars winning MVPs year after year, baseball’s MVP winners paint a different picture. Part of it’s because there are two awards handed out annually — one for each league — but the real reason is how incredibly difficult it is to maintain that level of excellence season after season.
Some players have cracked the code, though. Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are the latest to join the multiple MVP club, with both adding to their trophy cases in recent years.
Let’s dive into the complete history of MLB’s MVP awards.
Complete MVP Winners by Year
| Year | AL winner | NL winner |
| 2024 | Aaron Judge, Yankees | Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers |
| 2023 | Shohei Ohtani, Angels | Ronald Acuna Jr., Braves |
| 2022 | Aaron Judge, Yankees | Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals |
| 2021 | Shohei Ohtani, Angels | Bryce Harper, Phillies |
| 2020 | Jose Abreu, White Sox | Freddie Freeman, Braves |
| 2019 | Mike Trout, Angels | Cody Bellinger, Dodgers |
| 2018 | Mookie Betts, Red Sox | Christian Yelich, Brewers |
| 2017 | Jose Altuve, Astros | Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins |
| 2016 | Mike Trout, Angels | Kris Bryant, Cubs |
| 2015 | Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays | Bryce Harper, Nationals |
| 2014 | Mike Trout, Angels | Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers |
| 2013 | Miguel Cabrera, Tigers | Andrew McCutchen, Pirates |
| 2012 | Miguel Cabrera, Tigers | Buster Posey, Giants |
| 2011 | Justin Verlander, Tigers | Ryan Braun, Brewers |
| 2010 | Josh Hamilton, Rangers | Joey Votto, Reds |
| 2009 | Joe Mauer, Twins | Albert Pujols, Cardinals |
| 2008 | Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox | Albert Pujols, Cardinals |
| 2007 | Alex Rodriguez, Yankees | Jimmy Rollins, Phillies |
| 2006 | Justin Morneau, Twins | Ryan Howard, Phillies |
| 2005 | Alex Rodriguez, Yankees | Albert Pujols, Cardinals |
| 2004 | Vladimir Guerrero, Angels | Barry Bonds, Giants |
| 2003 | Alex Rodriguez, Rangers | Barry Bonds, Giants |
| 2002 | Miguel Tejada, Athletics | Barry Bonds, Giants |
| 2001 | Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners | Barry Bonds, Giants |
| 2000 | Jason Giambi, Athletics | Jeff Kent, Giants |
| 1999 | Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers | Chipper Jones, Braves |
| 1998 | Juan Gonzalez, Rangers | Sammy Sosa, Cubs |
| 1997 | Ken Griffey Jr., Mariners | Larry Walker, Rockies |
| 1996 | Juan Gonzalez, Rangers | Ken Caminiti, Padres |
| 1995 | Mo Vaughn, Red Sox | Barry Larkin, Reds |
| 1994 | Frank Thomas, White Sox | Jeff Bagwell, Astros |
| 1993 | Frank Thomas, White Sox | Barry Bonds, Giants |
| 1992 | Dennis Eckersley, Athletics | Barry Bonds, Pirates |
| 1991 | Cal Ripken Jr., Orioles | Terry Pendleton, Braves |
| 1990 | Rickey Henderson, Athletics | Barry Bonds, Pirates |
| 1989 | Robin Yount, Brewers | Kevin Mitchell, Giants |
| 1988 | Jose Canseco, Athletics | Kirk Gibson, Dodgers |
| 1987 | George Bell, Blue Jays | Andre Dawson, Cubs |
| 1986 | Roger Clemens, Red Sox | Mike Schmidt, Phillies |
| 1985 | Don Mattingly, Yankees | Willie McGee, Cardinals |
| 1984 | Willie Hernandez, Tigers | Ryne Sandberg, Cubs |
| 1983 | Cal Ripken Jr., Orioles | Dale Murphy, Braves |
| 1982 | Robin Yount, Brewers | Dale Murphy, Braves |
| 1981 | Rollie Fingers, Brewers | Mike Schmidt, Phillies |
| 1980 | George Brett, Royals | Mike Schmidt, Phillies |
| 1979 | Don Baylor, Angels | Keith Hernandez, Cardinals & Dave Parker, Pirates |
| 1978 | Jim Rice, Red Sox | Dave Parker, Pirates |
| 1977 | Rod Carew, Twins | George Foster, Reds |
| 1976 | Thurman Munson, Yankees | Joe Morgan, Reds |
| 1975 | Fred Lynn, Red Sox | Joe Morgan, Reds |
| 1974 | Jeff Burroughs, Rangers | Steve Garvey, Dodgers |
| 1973 | Reggie Jackson, Athletics | Pete Rose, Reds |
| 1972 | Dick Allen, White Sox | Johnny Bench, Reds |
| 1971 | Vida Blue, Athletics | Joe Torre, Cardinals |
| 1970 | Boog Powell, Orioles | Johnny Bench, Reds |
| 1969 | Harmon Killebrew, Twins | Willie McCovey, Giants |
| 1968 | Denny McLain, Tigers | Bob Gibson, Cardinals |
| 1967 | Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox | Orlando Cepeda, Cardinals |
| 1966 | Frank Robinson, Orioles | Roberto Clemente, Pirates |
| 1965 | Zoilo Versalles, Twins | Willie Mays, Giants |
| 1964 | Brooks Robinson, Orioles | Ken Boyer, Cardinals |
| 1963 | Elston Howard, Yankees | Sandy Koufax, Dodgers |
| 1962 | Mickey Mantle, Yankees | Maury Wills, Dodgers |
| 1961 | Roger Maris, Yankees | Frank Robinson, Reds |
| 1960 | Roger Maris, Yankees | Dick Groat, Pirates |
| 1959 | Nellie Fox, White Sox | Ernie Banks, Cubs |
| 1958 | Jackie Jensen, Red Sox | Ernie Banks, Cubs |
| 1957 | Mickey Mantle, Yankees | Hank Aaron, Braves |
| 1956 | Mickey Mantle, Yankees | Don Newcombe, Dodgers |
| 1955 | Yogi Berra, Yankees | Roy Campanella, Dodgers |
| 1954 | Yogi Berra, Yankees | Willie Mays, Giants |
| 1953 | Al Rosen, Indians | Roy Campanella, Dodgers |
| 1952 | Bobby Shantz, Athletics | Hank Sauer, Cubs |
| 1951 | Yogi Berra, Yankees | Roy Campanella, Dodgers |
| 1950 | Phil Rizzuto, Yankees | Jim Konstanty, Phillies |
| 1949 | Ted Williams, Red Sox | Jackie Robinson, Dodgers |
| 1948 | Lou Boudreau, Indians | Stan Musial, Cardinals |
| 1947 | Joe DiMaggio, Yankees | Bob Elliott, Cubs |
| 1946 | Ted Williams, Red Sox | Stan Musial, Cardinals |
| 1945 | Hal Newhouser, Tigers | Phil Cavarretta, Cubs |
| 1944 | Hal Newhouser, Tigers | Marty Marion, Cardinals |
| 1943 | Spud Chandler, Yankees | Stan Musial, Cardinals |
| 1942 | Joe Gordon, Yankees | Mort Cooper, Cardinals |
| 1941 | Joe DiMaggio, Yankees | Dolph Camilli, Dodgers |
| 1940 | Hank Greenberg, Tigers | Frank McCormick, Reds |
| 1939 | Joe DiMaggio, Yankees | Bucky Walters, Reds |
| 1938 | Jimmie Foxx, Red Sox | Ernie Lombardi, Reds |
| 1937 | Charlie Gehringer, Tigers | Joe Medwick, Cardinals |
| 1936 | Lou Gehrig, Yankees | Carl Hubbell, Giants |
| 1935 | Hank Greenberg, Tigers | Gabby Hartnett, Cubs |
| 1934 | Mickey Cochrane, Tigers | Dizzy Dean, Cardinals |
| 1933 | Jimmie Foxx, Athletics | Carl Hubbell, Giants |
| 1932 | Jimmie Foxx, Athletics | Chuck Klein, Phillies |
| 1931 | Lefty Grove, Athletics | Frankie Frisch, Cardinals |
No one’s come close to matching Barry Bonds’ seven MVP awards. Bonds won twice with Pittsburgh and five times with San Francisco, including that insane four-year run from 2001-04.
Multiple MVP Award Winners
| Player | MVPs | Years | Teams |
| Barry Bonds | 7 | 1990, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 | Giants, Pirates |
| Yogi Berra | 3 | 1951, 1954, 1955 | Yankees |
| Roy Campanella | 3 | 1951, 1953, 1955 | Dodgers |
| Joe DiMaggio | 3 | 1939, 1941, 1947 | Yankees |
| Jimmie Foxx | 3 | 1932, 1933, 1938 | Athletics, Red Sox |
| Mickey Mantle | 3 | 1956, 1957, 1962 | Yankees |
| Stan Musial | 3 | 1943, 1946, 1948 | Cardinals |
| Shohei Ohtani | 3 | 2021, 2023, 2024 | Angels, Dodgers |
| Albert Pujols | 3 | 2005, 2008, 2009 | Cardinals |
| Alex Rodriguez | 3 | 2003, 2005, 2007 | Rangers, Yankees |
| Mike Schmidt | 3 | 1980, 1981, 1986 | Phillies |
| Mike Trout | 3 | 2014, 2016, 2019 | Angels |
What makes Ohtani’s three MVPs particularly impressive is the timing. He’s the first player to win three MVPs in a four-year span since Bonds’ historic run. Plus, he’s done it as a two-way player, which adds another layer of difficulty.
MVPs by Team
The Yankees lead the way with 22 MVP awards, which makes sense given their history of success. But it’s interesting to see how the awards spread across different eras.
| Team | MVPs | Years |
| New York Yankees | 22 | 1936, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1976, 1985, 2005, 2007, 2022, 2024 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 18 | 1931, 1934, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1948, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1979, 1985, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2022 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 13 | 1941, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1962, 1963, 1974, 1988, 2014, 2019, 2024 |
Three teams — the Diamondbacks, Mets, and Rays — still haven’t had an MVP winner. That’s pretty wild when you think about it, especially with the Mets being around since 1962.
How MVP Voting Works
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America handles MVP voting, along with Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and Manager of the Year awards. Thirty media members vote for each award — two BBWAA writers from each team’s market vote for their league’s MVP.
Here’s what makes it interesting: there’s no strict definition of “most valuable.” The ballot basically tells voters to figure it out themselves. The MVP doesn’t have to come from a playoff team, though winning certainly helps in close races.
Most Controversial MVP Selections
Some MVP races still spark debates decades later. Let’s look at the ones that really get people talking.
Jose Altuve, 2017
Altuve hit .346 with 24 homers and a .957 OPS, but plenty of folks thought Aaron Judge deserved it as a rookie. Judge’s 52 home runs and 1.049 OPS made a strong case, especially with similar WAR numbers. Judge got his MVPs later, but some Yankees fans still think he was robbed.
Miguel Cabrera, 2012
This is where the WAR vs. traditional stats debate really took off. Cabrera won the Triple Crown with a .330 average, 44 homers, and .999 OPS. But Mike Trout posted a 10-WAR rookie season with incredible defense and baserunning. Both had MVP-caliber years, but the analytics crowd still argues Trout was more valuable overall.
Juan Gonzalez, 1996
In today’s game, Alex Rodriguez probably wins this one easily. Gonzalez had 47 homers and a 1.011 OPS, but his 3.5 WAR tells a different story. Rodriguez was only 20 for most of the season and put up a .358 average, 36 homers, 1.045 OPS, plus elite defense. The vote was close — just three points separated them.
Willie Stargell and Keith Hernandez, 1979
The only tie in MVP history. Looking back, Hernandez probably deserved it outright. He had nearly triple Stargell’s WAR despite hitting just 11 homers, thanks to Gold Glove defense and a .417 on-base percentage.
Notable MVP Facts
Youngest MVP: Vida Blue at 21-22 in 1971. He posted a 1.82 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 312 innings for Oakland, also winning the Cy Young.
Oldest MVP: Barry Bonds at 40 in 2004. Even at that age, he hit .362 with 45 homers and a ridiculous 1.422 OPS.
Pitchers with MVP and Cy Young in same year: It’s happened 11 times, with Clayton Kershaw in 2014 being the most recent.
Unanimous MVPs: 23 players have pulled this off, with both Ohtani and Judge doing it in 2024.
MVPs in both leagues: Only Frank Robinson (Reds 1961, Orioles 1966) and Shohei Ohtani (Angels 2021/2023, Dodgers 2024) have managed this feat.
The MVP award captures baseball’s unique challenge — sustained excellence is incredibly difficult, which is why we see so much variety in winners compared to other sports. Whether it’s Bonds’ dominance, Ohtani’s two-way brilliance, or those controversial close calls, the MVP award continues to generate passion and debate among fans, and that’s exactly as it should be.
