All you need to know about MLB's MVP Award, including past winners, when the award is announced, and more.
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Aaron Judge | -340 |
Bobby Witt Jr. | +700 |
Gunnar Henderson | +2500 |
Mike Trout | +2800 |
Corey Seager | +3500 |
Jose Ramirez | +4000 |
Reigning AL MVP and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (-340) has already separated himself as the heavy AL MVP favorite. Judge led MLB in home runs (58), RBI (144), walks (133) and OPS (1.159) in the 2024 season.
Through 22 games in the 2025 season, Judge is hitting .390/.495/.707 — all lead the AL and his average and on-base percentage lead MLB — with seven home runs, 25 RBI, 32 hits, 21 runs, a 245 OPS+, and 1.7 WAR. He leads MLB in hits and RBI, and he leads the AL in runs and WAR.
Second in the AL MVP odds is Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (+700). Witt developed into a superstar last season, more than doubling his 2023 WAR rating of 4.4 to a 2024 rating of 9.4.
Through 23 games this season, Witt has 1.1 WAR and is hitting .307/.370/.477 with two home runs, nine RBI, six stolen bases, nine walks, 27 hits, 15 runs, and a 142 OPS+. He's the only Royals player with an OPS above .800, and he's one of two everyday Royals players with an OPS above .700.
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (+2500) is third in the market, and he's coming off his age-23 season in which he posted 9.1 WAR. This season, Henderson is hitting .228/.267/.439 in 14 games played, and he has 13 hits, seven extra base hits, two home runs, three RBI, two stolen bases and nine runs scored while dealing with a muscle strain that saw him miss a handful of games.
Los Angeles Angels rightfielder and three-time AL MVP Mike Trout (+2800) is next in the odds. He has just 0.2 WAR through 21 games and is slashing .184/.289/.513, but he has eight home runs, 16 RBI, 11 walks, 12 runs scored and 14 hits. He leads his team in RBI, walks, and home runs.
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (+3500) is a rather distant fifth in the betting. He has 1.1 WAR and is slashing .288/.350/.479 through 20 games, and he has 21 hits, six extra base hits, four home runs, six RBI, and seven walks. He has only committed one error in 65 defensive chances and 160.0 innings at shortstop so far.
Further back, from 40/1 to 60/1, are Cleveland Guardians 3B Jose Ramirez, Toronto Blue Jays 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Seattle Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez, Detroit Tigers 1B Spencer Torkelson, Athletics 1B Tyler Soderstom, and Houston Astros OF/DH Yordan Alvarez.
Shohei Ohtani | +210 |
Corbin Carroll | +500 |
Fernando Tatis Jr. | +500 |
Kyle Tucker | +500 |
Pete Alonso | +1100 |
Elly De La Cruz | +1800 |
Juan Soto | +1800 |
Mookie Betts | +2000 |
Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani (+210) has remained the favorite to win NL MVP, despite not yet taking the mound after not pitching in his MVP-winning 2024 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
Through 21 games in 2025, Ohtani is hitting .277/.375/.530 with 0.8 WAR, six home runs, eight RBI, five stolen bases, 13 walks, 23 hits and 21 runs. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in late April that Ohtani is still a "copule months away" from pitching.
Three players are tied for second at +500 in the NL MVP market: Arizona Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll, San Diego Padres OF Fernando Tatis Jr., and Chicago Cubs OF Kyle Tucker.
Carroll, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, seems to have recovered from his sophomore slump from last season. He's hitting .323/.394/.645 through 22 games with 1.4 WAR, and he has seven home runs, 19 RBI, four stolen bases, seven doubles, one triple, and 19 runs scored.
Tatis Jr. leads MLB with 2.1 WAR through 21 games, and he's hitting .358/.436/.691 with an NL-best eight home runs, 16 RBI, seven steals, 29 hits, 22 runs scored, and a 12-12 walk-to-strikeout ratio.
Tucker, who the Cubs traded for in the offseason, has gotten off to a great start at his new home. He has 1.1 WAR through 24 games, is hitting .302/.404/.615, and has six home runs, 23 RBI, eight doubles, two triples, 29 hits, 22 runs scored, and a 17-14 walk-to-strikeout ratio.
New York Mets 1B Pete Alonso (+1100) is next in the betting. He has overshadowed teammate Juan Soto, who signed a record-setting deal in the offseason MLB in slugging percentage (.718) and leads the NL in OPS (1.171), and he also has six home runs, an NL-best 24 RBI, nine doubles, one triple, 27 hits, 13 runs scored, and a 14-12 walk-to-strikeout ratio.
Further back, from 18/1 to 35/1, are Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, Mets OF Juan Soto, Dodgers SS Mookie Betts, Atlanta Braves 1B Austin Riley, Philadelphia Phillies 1B Bryce Harper, Mets SS Francisco Lindor, and Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber.
Year | American League winner | National League winner |
2024 | Aaron Judge | Shohei Ohtani |
2023 | Shohei Ohtani | Ronald Acuna Jr. |
2022 | Aaron Judge | Paul Goldschmidt |
2021 | Shohei Ohtani | Bryce Harper |
2020 | Jose Abreu | Freddie Freeman |
2019 | Mike Trout | Cody Bellinger |
2018 | Mookie Betts | Christian Yelich |
2017 | Jose Altuve | Giancarlo Stanton |
2016 | Mike Trout | Kris Bryant |
2015 | Josh Donaldson | Bryce Harper |
2014 | Mike Trout | Clayton Kershaw |
2013 | Miguel Cabrera | Andrew McCutchen |
2012 | Miguel Cabrera | Buster Posey |
2011 | Justin Verlander | Ryan Braun |
2010 | Josh Hamilton | Joey Votto |
2009 | Joe Mauer | Albert Pujols |
2008 | Dustin Pedroia | Albert Pujols |
2007 | Alex Rodriguez | Jimmy Rollins |
2006 | Justin Morneau | Ryan Howard |
2005 | Alex Rodriguez | Albert Pujols |
2004 | Vladimir Guerrero | Barry Bonds |
2003 | Alex Rodriguez | Barry Bonds |
2002 | Miguel Tejada | Barry Bonds |
2001 | Ichiro Suzuki | Barry Bonds |
2000 | Jason Giambi | Jeff Kent |
1999 | Ivan Rodriguez | Chipper Jones |
1998 | Juan Gonzalez | Sammy Sosa |
1997 | Ken Griffey Jr. | Larry Walker |
1996 | Juan Gonzalez | Ken Caminiti |
1995 | Mo Vaughn | Barry Larkin |
1994 | Frank Thomas | Jeff Bagwell |
1993 | Frank Thomas | Barry Bonds |
1992 | Dennis Eckersley | Barry Bonds |
1991 | Cal Ripken Jr. | Terry Pendleton |
1990 | Rickey Henderson | Barry Bonds |
1989 | Robin Yount | Kevin Mitchell |
1988 | Jose Canseco | Kirk Gibson |
1987 | George Bell | Andre Dawson |
1986 | Roger Clemens | Mike Schmidt |
1985 | Don Mattingly | Willie McGee |
1984 | Willie Hernandez | Ryne Sandberg |
1983 | Cal Ripken Jr. | Dale Murphy |
1982 | Robin Yount | Dale Murphy |
1981 | Rollie Fingers | Mike Schmidt |
1980 | George Brett | Mike Schmidt |
1979 | Don Baylor | Keith Hernandez & Willie Stargell |
1978 | Jim Rice | Dave Parker |
1977 | Rod Carew | George Foster |
1976 | Thurman Munson | Joe Morgan |
1975 | Fred Lynn | Joe Morgan |
1974 | Jeff Burroughs | Steve Garvey |
1973 | Reggie Jackson | Pete Rose |
1972 | Dick Allen | Johnny Bench |
1971 | Vida Blue | Joe Torre |
1970 | Boog Powell | Johnny Bench |
1969 | Harmon Killebrew | Willie McCovey |
1968 | Denny McLain | Bob Gibson |
1967 | Carl Yastrzemski | Orlando Cepeda |
1966 | Frank Robinson | Roberto Clemente |
1965 | Zoilo Versalles | Willie Mays |
1964 | Brooks Robinson | Ken Boyer |
1963 | Elston Howard | Sandy Koufax |
1962 | Mickey Mantle | Maury Wills |
1961 | Roger Maris | Frank Robinson |
1960 | Roger Maris | Dick Groat |
1959 | Nellie Fox | Ernie Banks |
1958 | Jackie Jensen | Ernie Banks |
1957 | Mickey Mantle | Hank Aaron |
1956 | Mickey Mantle | Don Newcombe |
1955 | Yogi Berra | Roy Campanella |
1954 | Yogi Berra | Willie Mays |
1953 | Al Rosen | Roy Campanella |
1952 | Bobby Shantz | Hank Sauer |
1951 | Yogi Berra | Roy Campanella |
1950 | Phil Rizzuto | Jim Konstanty |
1949 | Ted Williams | Jackie Robinson |
1948 | Lou Boudreau | Stan Musial |
1947 | Joe DiMaggio | Bob Elliott |
1946 | Ted Williams | Stan Musial |
1945 | Hal Newhouser | Phil Cavarretta |
1944 | Hal Newhouser | Marty Marion |
1943 | Spud Chandler | Stan Musial |
1942 | Joe Gordon | Mort Cooper |
1941 | Joe DiMaggio | Dolph Camilli |
1940 | Hank Greenberg | Frank McCormick |
1939 | Joe DiMaggio | Bucky Walters |
1938 | Jimmie Foxx | Ernie Lombardi |
1937 | Charlie Gehringer | Joe Medwick |
1936 | Lou Gehrig | Carl Hubbell |
1935 | Hank Greenberg | Gabby Hartnett |
1934 | Mickey Cochrane | Dizzy Dean |
1933 | Jimmie Foxx | Carl Hubbell |
1932 | Jimmie Foxx | Chuck Klein |
1931 | Lefty Grove | Frankie Frisch |
The MVP Award winners are announced around two weeks after the World Series concludes as part of MLB's awards season. In 2023. the winners were announced on Nov. 16.
The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) votes on the winners of the MVP Award. Two writers in each MLB city get to vote, and votes must be submitted before the postseason begins. Voters get first- through 10th-place votes worth 14 points for first place, nine for second, eight for third, seven for fourth, six for fifth, five for sixth, fourth for seventh, three for eighth, two for ninth and one for 10th. The player with the most points, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award.
Winners of the MVP Award receive a plaque with a black background and a gold baseball diamond with the winner's name and team in a gold rectangle within the baseball diamond. The league they won the award in - either the American League or National League - is across the top of the plaque, while "Most Valuable Player" is across the bottom of the plaque.
Odds mentioned in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.