Understanding the MVP Award
Major League Baseball presents two MVP awards each year. One goes to a top player in the American League, while the other goes to a top player in the National League. The Baseball Writers Association of America has voted for these awards at the end of the regular season and before the postseason starts since 1931.
Before the current system was established, the award went by different names. It began in 1911 as the Chalmers Award, honoring the most important and useful player to the club and to the league. That early version only lasted until 1914. Later, from 1922 to 1928 in the American League and from 1924 to 1929 in the National League, the League Award went to the player who provided the greatest all around service to his club. During that specific era, prior winners were not eligible to win the award again.
Recent Winners in the Leagues
Looking at recent history, the voting continues to highlight incredible athletic performances across both leagues. In 2026, Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros won the MVP for the American League. He became only the third Astros player to win the award, following Jose Altuve in 2017 and Jeff Bagwell in 1994. Meanwhile, Pete Crow Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs won the award for the National League. He was the first Cubs player to claim the honor since Kris Bryant won it in 2016.
Going back to 2025, Aaron Judge took the American League honor, and Shohei Ohtani won for the National League. Shohei Ohtani also secured the award in 2024 alongside Aaron Judge, and in 2023 alongside Ronald Acuna Jr. In 2022, Aaron Judge won in the American League while Paul Goldschmidt took the National League title. Shohei Ohtani also earned the American League honor in 2021, with Bryce Harper taking the National League prize.
Historical Winners and Milestones
The long history of the award features many legendary names who dominated their eras. Players like Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera, Alex Rodriguez, and Barry Bonds earned multiple MVP honors during their stellar careers. Barry Bonds holds a notable place in baseball history with multiple National League awards accumulated over several years.
Some seasons required special note in the historical records. An official MVP was not awarded in the American League in 1929, or in both leagues in 1930, because the League Award was still being handed out at that time. However, balloting still took place for those specific seasons, and unofficial MVPs are recognized from those years.
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