Every World Series MVP since 2000 ranked by regular season WAR

While many stars have capped off incredible seasons with a World Series MVP, some unsung heroes have also risen to the occasion during the Fall Classic.

As the 2026 MLB season winds down in its final weeks, the playoff picture for this October is beginning to take shape as contending teams start to figure out what their rosters and rotations may look like once the postseason begins.

It’s difficult to pinpoint what exactly matters the most in October – especially with a sport as unpredictable and random as baseball. The presumption that anything can happen should always be held, and it’s one that’s often proven in the most unexpected of times.

It certainly came as no surprise to any baseball fan that the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2025, putting a bow on back-to-back championships. Yet how the Dodgers made it happen speaks more to the randomness of baseball than just about anything else.

No one will ever forget the game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 from Miguel Rojas, a journeyman bench player who became the team’s biggest hero with their backs against the wall. One could even look earlier in the series, when rookie Will Klein pitched four shutout innings in relief to get the win in an 18-inning Game 3.

Although neither of these players ultimately won the World Series MVP (which was gifted to Yoshinobu Yamamoto), the Dodgers were able to win it all thanks to contributions from names towards the bottom of their depth chart – speaking to the importance of having a complete roster once October rolls around.

In a good amount of instances, the World Series MVP ends up simply being the best player on the best team in baseball – a star who rose to the occasion when the lights were the brightest, just as they had likely done all season long.

Still, there have been a few instances where a bench player or depth piece on a roster becomes the most important player for a winning team during the Fall Classic, serving as beautiful proof that you truly never know what to expect in this sport.

Below is a look at the different kind of regular seasons that led to a World Series MVP since 2000 – ranging from future Hall of Famers to future Jeopardy! answers:

1. 2001 Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks: 10.1 WAR
2. 2001 Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks: 8.8 WAR
3. 2023 Corey Seager, Texas Rangers: 7.2 WAR
4. 2019 Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals: 5.7 WAR
5. 2017 George Springer, Houston Astros: 5.1 WAR
6. 2007 Mike Lowell, Boston Red Sox: 5.0 WAR
7. 2022 Jeremy Peña, Houston Astros: 5.0 WAR
8. 2025 Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers: 4.9 WAR
9. 2000 Derek Jeter, New York Yankees: 4.6 WAR
10. 2024 Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers: 4.5 WAR
11. 2002 Troy Glaus, Anaheim Angels: 4.4 WAR
12. 2013 David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox: 4.4 WAR
13. 2008 Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies: 4.3 WAR
14. 2004 Manny Ramirez, Boston Red Sox: 4.1 WAR
15. 2003 Josh Beckett, Florida Marlins: 3.8 WAR
16. 2014 Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants: 3.7 WAR
17. 2016 Ben Zobrist, Chicago Cubs: 3.5 WAR
18. 2026 William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers: 2.9 WAR
19. 2009 Hideki Matsui, New York Yankees: 2.7 WAR
20. 2005 Jermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox: 2.5 WAR
21. 2015 Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals: 2.3 WAR
22. 2012 Pablo Sandoval, San Francicso Giants: 2.2 WAR
23. 2020 Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers: 2.0 WAR
24. 2011 David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals: 1.9 WAR
25. 2006 David Eckstein, St. Louis Cardinals: 1.7 WAR
26. 2018 Steve Pearce, Boston Red Sox: 1.5 WAR*
27. 2010 Edgar Renteria, San Francisco Giants: 0.6 WAR
28. 2021 Jorge Soler, Atlanta Braves: 0.1 WAR**

*Pearce spent the first part of 2018 with the Toronto Blue Jays
**Soler spent the first part of 2021 with the Kansas City Royals