Although the MVP awards are typically associated with corner infielders and outfielders who are sluggers, players of all positions have won the award numerous times throughout the league’s history.
With the All-Star break in the rearview mirror and the trade deadline right around the corner, fans of all 30 teams across the league are looking ahead to what the final stretch of the season looks like as the playoff picture starts to come more into shape.
In addition to teams making their push towards the postseason, fans and media members alike are beginning to speculate who is in the best position to win some of the league’s most coveted awards, namely the league MVP and Cy Young Awards.
Unlike the other major North American professional sports leagues, MLB does not award just one MVP, staying true to the tradition of separate awards for the National League and American League, despite the fact that there are no longer any differences between how the two leagues function.
This of course opens up the opportunity for more players to get a chance to win the award with two MVPs each year, but the recent dominance of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, who have three and four wins of the ward respectively has dampened the chances for other players.
It will be a new player in the American League this year due to Judge’s injury issues, with Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros emerging as the current front-runner for the award on the AL side.
While it’s difficult to look at anyone but Shohei Ohtani as the favorite in the National League, his ability to get on the mound in the second half could impact his chances to take home the accolade, with Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong leading all of MLB in wins above replacement with a career-high mark of 6.2 following play on July 24.
As far as the positional history of the MVP goes, pitchers and catchers appear to be at the most significant disadvantage, with catchers typically needing an otherworldly season (not even 60 home runs from Cal Raleigh in 2025 could eclipse Aaron Judge) while pitchers are often discredited by writers simply due to the fact that they only play one in every five games.
Despite a relatively rich history of catchers winning the award, a backstop has not taken home the honor in either league since Buster Posey did so for the San Francisco Giants in 2012, en route to a World Series championship. A standalone pitcher has not won the award since future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw did so in 2014, a season that was known for excellent pitching leaguewide.
Historically, first basemen have won the most MVP awards by a wide margin with 37 wins, a fact that is at odds with modern advanced metrics that view the position as perhaps the least valuable in the sport due to the comparative lack of defensive pressure.
Outfielders dominate the award after first basemen, with 31 right fielders, 24 left fielders and 22 center fielders taking home the honor. As far as the rarest position to win the award, designated hitters and relief pitchers are tied with just four wins apiece.
Here’s a look at the last time a player from each position won the award:
*for the purposes of this list, Shohei Ohtani will be listed as a designated hitter for his wins, distinguishing him from players who won the award while only appearing as a pitcher.
- Starting pitcher: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2014 NL
- Relief pitcher: Dennis Eckersley, Oakland Athletics, 1992 AL
- Catcher: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants, 2012 NL
- First baseman: Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals, 2022 NL
- Second baseman: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros, 2017 AL
- Third baseman: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs, 2016 NL
- Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies, 2007 NL
- Left fielder: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers, 2018 NL
- Center fielder: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, 2024 AL
- Right fielder: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, 2025 AL
- Designated hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2025 NL
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