| Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player Award | |
| Sport: | Baseball |
| League: | Major League Baseball |
| Givenfor: | Annual most valuable player of the World Series |
| Presenter: | Major League Baseball (since 1985) |
| Country: | United States Canada |
| First: | 1955 |
| Mostrecent: | Freddie Freeman (Los Angeles Dodgers) |
The Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series,[1] which is the final round of the MLB postseason. The award was first presented in 1955 by Sport magazine,[2] but since 1985 has been officially presented by MLB. The winner is determined during the final game of the World Series by a committee of reporters and officials present at the game.
On September 29, 2017, the award was renamed in honor of Willie Mays in remembrance of the 63rd anniversary of The Catch, which occurred the year before the award's debut;[3] Mays never won the award himself.
The award winner has traditionally received a new car.[4] Johnny Podres, the inaugural winner in 1955, received a Chevrolet Corvette.[5] The 1977 winner, Reggie Jackson, received a Ford Thunderbird,[6]
Since 2004, General Motors had provided the vehicle.[8] Examples include David Ortiz (2013 MVP) receiving a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado High Country, Ben Zobrist (2016 MVP) receiving a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible 50th Anniversary Edition, and Corey Seager (2020 MVP) receiving a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71.[9]
A trophy has also been presented to the award winner since at least the late 1970s. In 1985, Major League Baseball (MLB) took over as the official award presenter from Sport magazine,[10] although for a few years, MLB and Sport each presented different trophies to the winner. Trophies given to award winners include:
| Links to an article about the corresponding World Series | |
| Other awards | Player also won, in the same season:
CY: Cy Young Award |
|---|---|
| Inductee of the National Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Player is still active in professional baseball | |
| Player was a rookie that season | |
| § | Member of losing team in the World Series |
| ^ | Multiple award winners in the same World Series |
| (#) | Number of times winning World Series MVP at that point (if more than one) |
From 1955 through 2024, a total of 70 seasons, there have been 69 editions of the World Series played – there was no World Series in . In 67 editions, a single MVP was named; in 1981, three MVPs were named; and in 2001, two MVPs were named. Thus, there have been a total of 72 MVPs.
The position at which players have won the most MVPs is pitcher, 29 times. Four of those winners were exclusively relief pitchers, the most recent being Mariano Rivera in 1999. Twelve of the first 14 MVPs were pitchers. From 1969 through 1986, the prevalence of pitcher MVPs declined, as only two pitchers won the award during this period. From 1987 through 1991, all of the MVPs were pitchers. Since 1995, years ago, pitchers have won the award nine times, the most recent being Stephen Strasburg in 2019.
The most uncommon position for an MVP is second baseman, with only Bobby Richardson in 1960 winning at the position. Richardson is also the only MVP to be named from a losing World Series team.
Of the 30 current MLB franchises, 24 have had at least one MVP. The six that have not are the Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Rays. Of those six franchises, five have never won a World Series, and Cleveland last won in 1948, prior to the MVP award being established.
| Position | Total |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 29 |
| Third baseman | 10 |
| Outfielder | 10 |
| Shortstop | 8 |
| Catcher | 7 |
| First baseman | 4 |
| Designated hitter | 3 |
| Second baseman | 1 |
Four players have won the award twice: Sandy Koufax (1963, 1965), Bob Gibson (1964, 1967), Reggie Jackson (1973, 1977), and Corey Seager (2020, 2023). Jackson and Seager are the only players to have won the award with two different teams, while Seager is the first player to win the award in both leagues.[109]
A total of 12 players born outside of the United States have been named World Series MVP, with Pedro Guerrero, a native of the Dominican Republic, being the first to win it in 1981. Of players born outside the U.S., the Dominican Republic has produced the most World Series MVP winners, with five. Venezuela and Cuba have produced two each, and Japan, Colombia, and Panama have each produced one. California-born Freddie Freeman, the 2024 MVP, holds dual citizenship in both the U.S. and Canada.[110]
Six pitchers have won the Cy Young Award and the World Series MVP in the same season: Bob Turley (1958), Whitey Ford (1961), Koufax (1963, 1965), Bret Saberhagen (1985), Orel Hershiser (1988), and Johnson (2001). The Cy Young Award was initiated in 1956, as one award for all of MLB; it has been awarded in both leagues since 1967.[123]
Nine players have been named both a League Championship Series MVP and the World Series MVP in the same postseason: Willie Stargell (1979), Darrell Porter (1982), Orel Hershiser (1988), Liván Hernández (1997), Cole Hamels (2008), David Freese (2011), Madison Bumgarner (2014), Corey Seager (2020), and Jeremy Peña (2022). The LCS MVP was first awarded in 1977 for the National League and in 1980 for the American League.[124]
To date, only one World Series MVP has also won the Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award in the same season: Derek Jeter in 2000. An All-Star Game MVP has been named since 1962.[125]
Five players have received both a Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award and the World Series MVP Award in the same season: Sandy Koufax (1963), Frank Robinson (1966), Reggie Jackson (1973), Willie Stargell (1979), and Mike Schmidt (1980). The MLB MVP has been awarded to a player in each league since 1931.[126]
Three players have won a World Series MVP plus two of the above awards in the same season: