The World Series Most Valuable Player Award was originally given by the editors of Sport Magazine and started in 1955. The award is now voted on during the final game of the World Series by a committee of reporters and officials in attendance. It is announced at the game and soon thereafter Chevy presents the winner with a new Corvette.
The World Series Most Valuable Player Award / Babe Ruth Award (variation) was developed by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America in honor of Babe Ruth and first awarded one year after the Bambino's death. The chapter meets following the World Series and announces their award via the media.
This version of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award was modified after the 2002 World Series due to the same award being given at the same time by Sport Magazine. In 2003 the Babe Ruth Award was "adjusted" so it wouldn't compete directly with the World Series MVP Award and instead honors the player with the best performance in the postseason.
Notes: Listed below in chronological order are all the recipients of the Babe Ruth Award. Names may be clicked to view comprehensive player stats and columns include Year won, Quantity or times won, the position played when won, the League & Team played in by the winning recipient. Research by Baseball Almanac.
"Postseason MVP. Wow, What's next, the good guy award? I've been to these dinners a couple of times to receive MVP awards and those, I'm very proud of those accomplishments, but none of those accomplishments will ever compare to the feeling you get from being part of a team that won a world championship. Like Albert (Pujols) said there's nothing like winning a World championship." - Rodriguez, Alex. AP Wire. Rodriguez chokes up during speech. 24 January 2010.
World Series Most Valuable Player AwardBabe Ruth Award / World Series MVP 1949-2002 |
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WS | Name(s) (Qty) | POS | LG | Team |
1949 | Joe Page (1) | P | AL | New York |
1950 | Jerry Coleman (1) | 2B | AL | New York |
1951 | Phil Rizzuto (1) | SS | AL | New York |
1952 | Johnny Mize (1) | 1B | AL | New York |
1953 | Billy Martin (1) | 2B | AL | New York |
1954 | Dusty Rhodes (1) | OF | NL | New York |
1955 | Johnny Podres (1) | P | NL | Brooklyn |
1956 | Don Larsen (1) | P | AL | New York |
1957 | Lew Burdette (1) | P | NL | Milwaukee |
1958 | Elston Howard (1) | C | AL | New York |
1959 | Larry Sherry (1) | P | NL | Los Angeles |
1960 | Bill Mazeroski (1) | 2B | NL | Pittsburgh |
1961 | Whitey Ford (1) | P | AL | New York |
1962 | Ralph Terry (1) | P | AL | New York |
1963 | Sandy Koufax (1) | P | NL | Los Angeles |
1964 | Bob Gibson (1) | P | NL | St. Louis |
1965 | Sandy Koufax (2) | P | NL | Los Angeles |
1966 | Frank Robinson (1) | OF | AL | Baltimore |
1967 | Lou Brock (1) | OF | NL | St. Louis |
1968 | Mickey Lolich (1) | P | AL | Detroit |
1969 | Al Weis (1) | SS | NL | New York |
1970 | Brooks Robinson (1) | 3B | AL | Baltimore |
1971 | Roberto Clemente (1) | OF | NL | Pittsburgh |
1972 | Gene Tenace (1) | C | AL | Oakland |
1973 | Bert Campaneris (1) | SS | AL | Oakland |
1974 | Dick Green (1) | 2B | AL | Oakland |
1975 | Luis Tiant (1) | P | AL | Boston |
1976 | Johnny Bench (1) | C | NL | Cincinnati |
1977 | Reggie Jackson (1) | OF | AL | New York |
1978 | Bucky Dent (1) | SS | AL | New York |
1979 | Willie Stargell (1) | 1B | NL | Pittsburgh |
1980 | Tug McGraw (1) | P | NL | Philadelphia |
1981 | Ron Cey (1) | 3B | NL | Los Angeles |
1982 | Bruce Sutter (1) | P | NL | St. Louis |
1983 | Rick Dempsey (1) | C | AL | Baltimore |
1984 | Jack Morris (1) | P | AL | Detroit |
1985 | Bret Saberhagen (1) | P | AL | Kansas City |
1986 | Ray Knight (1) | 3B | NL | New York |
1987 | Frank Viola (1) | P | AL | Minnesota |
1988 | Orel Hershiser (1) | P | NL | Los Angeles |
1989 | Dave Stewart (1) | P | AL | Oakland |
1990 | Billy Hatcher (1) | OF | NL | Cincinnati |
1991 | Jack Morris (2) | P | AL | Minnesota |
1992 | Dave Winfield (1) | OF | AL | Toronto |
1993 | Paul Molitor (1) | 3B / DH | AL | Toronto |
1994 | Strike Season | n/a | n/a | n/a |
1995 | Tom Glavine (1) | P | NL | Atlanta |
1996 | Cecil Fielder (1) | 1B / DH | AL | New York |
1997 | Moises Alou (1) | OF | NL | Florida |
1998 | Scott Brosius (1) | 3B | AL | New York |
1999 | Mariano Rivera (1) | P | AL | New York |
2000 | Derek Jeter (1) | SS | AL | New York |
2001 | Randy Johnson (1) | P | NL | Arizona |
Curt Schilling (1) | P | NL | Arizona | |
2002 | Troy Glaus (1) | 3B | AL | Anaheim |
WS | Name(s) (Qty) | POS | LG | Team |
The Babe Ruth AwardBest Postseason Performance |
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WS | Name(s) (Qty) | POS | LG | Team |
2003 | Josh Beckett (1) | P | NL | Florida |
2004 | Keith Foulke (1) | P | AL | Boston |
2005 | Jermaine Dye (1) | OF | AL | Chicago |
2006 | David Eckstein (1) | SS | NL | St. Louis |
2007 | Jonathan Papelbon (1) | P | AL | Boston |
2008 | Cole Hamels (1) | P | NL | Philadelphia |
2009 | Alex Rodriguez (1) | 3B | AL | New York |
2010 | Tim Lincecum (1) | P | NL | San Francisco |
2011 | David Freese (1) | 3B | NL | St. Louis |
2012 | Pablo Sandoval (1) | 3B | NL | San Francisco |
2013 | David Ortiz (1) | DH | AL | Boston |
2014 | Madison Bumgarner (1) | P | NL | San Francisco |
2015 | Wade Davis (1) | P | AL | Kansas City |
2016 | Jon Lester (1) | P | NL | Chicago |
2017 | Jose Altuve (1) | 2B | AL | Houston |
Justin Verlander (1) | P | AL | Houston | |
2018 | David Price (1) | P | AL | Boston |
2019 | Juan Soto (1) | OF | NL | Washington |
Stephen Strasburg (1) | P | NL | Washington | |
2020 | Randy Arozarena (1) | OF | AL | Tampa Bay |
2021 | Freddie Freeman (1) | 1B | NL | Atlanta |
2022 | Jeremy Peña (1) | SS | AL | Houston |
2023 | Adolis García (1) | RF | AL | Texas |
2024 | Not Yet Awarded (11-2024) | -- | -- | -- |
WS | Name(s) (Qty) | POS | LG | Team |
Babe Ruth Award | Baseball Awards Menu |
Luis Tiant (1975 World Series) is the only receipient who has won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award while playing on the losing team. If you include the Sport Magazine variation of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award then Bobby Richardson (1960 World Series) would also be part of the unique "club".
Did you know that 1958 was the first season where each version of the World Series MVP went to a different player (Bob Turley there & Elston Howard here) and 1955 was the first season where one player, Johnny Podres of the Brooklyn Dodgers, won both versions of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award?
Sandy Koufax and Jack Morris are the only players to win the Babe Ruth Award twice while Bob Gibson, Reggie Jackson and Sandy Koufax (again) are the only players to win the Sport Magazine Award twice.