Power Ranking Every AL and NL MVP from the Last Decade
It won't be until next Thursday, Nov. 18, that the Baseball Writers Association of America will reveal the winners of the Most Valuable Player awards for the 2021 season.
For now, let's pass the time by ranking the past 10 years' worth of MVPs from the American League and National League.
This meant sizing up 20 individual seasons, which naturally required careful consideration. The numbers—keep an eye out for league-leading marks and MLB-leading marks—definitely mattered, but it makes for a more interesting discussion to also ponder the circumstances under which they came to be.
For one, how much did the numbers actually mean to the given player's team? For two, just how much do these seasons stick in one's memory?
The obvious caveat here is that out of the 10 seasons between 2011 and 2020, one was very much not like the others. It is with that one that we must begin as we count down from No. 20 to No. 1.
20. 2020 AL MVP: 1B Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox
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2020 Stats: 60 G, 262 PA, 19 HR, 0 SB, 148 TB, 43 R, 60 RBI, .317 AVG, .370 OBP, .617 SLG, 165 OPS+
WAR: 3.0
When the Chicago White Sox snapped what had been an 11-year postseason drought in 2020, there was little question that Jose Abreu was mainly responsible for it.
As he averaged an RBI per game while playing in each of the White Sox's 60 contests, the veteran first baseman only further cemented himself as one of the best run producers in Major League Baseball. He also led the American League with 76 hits, close to half of which (34) went for extra bases.
Though the White Sox backed into the playoffs by way of a 7-9 record in the season's final weeks, that was no fault of Abreu's. OHe did his best to keep them afloat by going off for a .356/.435/.712 line and six homers during that span.
In spite of all this, an MVP win from a 60-game season inevitably deserves an asterisk. A couple more you can throw on Abreu's 2020 season concern how he didn't even lead his league in wins above replacement or win probability added, the latter of which partially points to his modest .835 OPS in high-leverage spots.
19. 2020 NL MVP: 1B Freddie Freeman, Atlanta
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2020 Stats: 60 G, 262 PA, 13 HR, 2 SB, 137 TB, 51 R, 53 RBI, .341 AVG, .462 OBP, .640 SLG, 187 OPS+
WAR: 3.3
Whereas Abreu got only 21 of 30 first-place votes to win the AL MVP in 2020, Freddie Freeman was a near-universal choice in receiving 28 of 30 votes in the National League balloting.
That about sums up just how hot the Atlanta star was last year. He was ultimately on base more frequently than any hitter in either league and, contrary to Abreu his productivity improved as the leverage increased:
- Low Leverage: 1.012 OPS
- Medium Leverage: 1.171 OPS
- High Leverage: 1.219 OPS
Freeman also greeted the pressure of the approaching postseason by turning his production up to maximum. With Atlanta trying to win a third straight NL East title, he had a 1.314 OPS and eight homers over his last 23 games.
18. 2011 NL MVP: LF Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
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2011 Stats: 150 G, 629 PA, 33 HR, 33 SB, 336 TB, 109 R, 111 RBI, .332 AVG, .397 OBP, .597 SLG, 166 OPS+
WAR: 7.7
In what could arguably be called the last pre-modern MVP race—everything changed after Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera helped WAR go mainstream in 2012—Ryan Braun finished 2011 with all the familiar trappings of a Most Valuable Player.
He was productive across the board, achieving a relatively rare 30-30 season with more than 100 runs and 100 RBI. Braun also backloaded his production, racking up a 1.034 OPS and 17 home runs to help the Milwaukee Brewers achieve go 47-23 in the second half.
Even at the time, though, Braun's MVP win was controversial in that it came at the expense of Matt Kemp. He topped Braun in home runs, total bases, RBI, as well as in OPS+ and WAR. Kemp's only sin, it seemed, was not single-handedly carrying a heavily flawed Los Angeles Dodgers team to October.
In the months and years to come, Braun's MVP was further cheapened by scandal. Though he successfully appealed a performance-enhancing drug suspension in 2012, he had no such luck in 2013.
17. 2017 AL MVP: 2B Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
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2017 Stats: 153 G, 662 PA, 24 HR, 32 SB, 323 TB, 112 R, 81 RBI, .346 AVG, .410 OBP, .547 SLG, 160 OPS+
WAR: 7.7
The 2017 AL MVP race perhaps should have been closer, as Aaron Judge got just two first-place votes to Jose Altuve's 27 in spite of his 59 home runs and slightly higher WAR (8.0).
One thing that tipped the scales in Altuve's favor, however, was his consistency. Whereas Judge cratered with a .680 OPS in August, Altuve managed at least an .830 OPS on a monthly basis in 2017.
The 5'6", 166-pound second baseman was also at his best when the Houston Astros needed him while star shortstop Carlos Correa was out with a thumb injury. During the 40-game span Correa was sidelined, Altuve dominated with a .384 average and 1.015 OPS.
But while all this amounts to a heck of an MVP case in a vacuum, the legacy of the Astros' 2017 season complicates matters. Even if Altuve himself didn't actually benefit from the club's trash-can scheme, he's nonetheless complicit in the fact that the scheme remained in operation throughout the season.
16. 2019 AL MVP: CF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
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2019 Stats: 134 G, 600 PA, 45 HR, 11 SB, 303 TB, 110 R, 104 RBI, .291 AVG, .438 OBP, .645 SLG, 182 OPS+
WAR: 7.9
The 2019 AL MVP race was a tough call even at the time, as Mike Trout and Alex Bregman nearly split the 30 first-place votes. Two years later, there's still a debate to be had as to whether Trout should have won.
For one thing, he didn't even play after Sept. 7 because of a foot injury that necessitated season-ending surgery. For another, he was uncharacteristically unclutch with diminishing returns depending on the leverage.
Even then, however, Trout still managed to top the AL in WPA. And though they lost 90 games, Trout still buoyed the Angels with at least a 1.000 OPS in each of the season's six months and excellent production whether they won or lost:
- In Wins: 1.284 OPS, 27 HR
- In Losses: .920 OPS, 18 HR
Though 2019 might not be Trout's best season, it's at least easy to appreciate it now as his last truly great season before COVID-19 and a calf injury limited him to just 89 games across 2020 and 2021.
15. 2016 AL MVP: CF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
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2016 Stats: 159 G, 681 PA, 29 HR, 30 SB, 302 TB, 123 R, 100 RBI, .315 AVG, .441 OBP, .550 SLG, 173 OPS+
WAR: 10.5
Whereas the Angels had won 98 games in 2014 and another 85 in 2015, they spent all of two days—April 13 and 15—in first place in 2016 as they stumbled to 88 losses and fourth place in the AL West.
Trout, though, made sure the Angels didn't go down without a fight.
He comfortably led the majors in both WAR and WPA in 2016, posting at least a .900 OPS in all three leverage scenarios and crushing in wins with a 1.257 OPS. Even after the Angels' deficit was permanently in double digits after June 7, he stayed hot with a .323/.459/.561 line over 101 games.
Five years later, Trout's 2016 season still stands as possibly the best of his remarkable career. It's also a unique one for the annals of MLB history, in that only he and Barry Bonds have topped 10.5 WAR and 6.4 WPA in a single season this century.
14. 2017 NL MVP: RF Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
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2017 Stats: 159 G, 692 PA, 59 HR, 2 SB, 377 TB, 123 R, 132 RBI, .281 AVG, .376 OBP, .631 SLG, 169 OPS+
WAR: 7.9
Though Giancarlo Stanton had no way of knowing the 2017 season would be his last with the Miami Marlins, he made it count by vaulting himself into a tie for ninth in the single-season home run books.
Stanton chose his spots well. Of his 59 total home runs, 41 came in Marlins wins. A good chunk of those came down the stretch, when he went off for 38 blasts in his final 78 games. The Marlins won 40 of those.
To boot, Stanton wasn't the bat-only player he is now back in 2017. On the strength of 11 defensive runs saved and an 8.3 ultimate zone rating, he was actually a finalist for a Gold Glove that year.
So even if it indeed came paired with 85 losses, Stanton had a ton to do with the Marlins salvaging a second-place finish in the NL East for the first time since 2009. Looking back now, the 6'6", 245-pound slugger's 2017 season still stands as one of the best individual performances of the 21st century.
13. 2015 NL MVP: RF Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
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2015 Stats: 153 G, 654 PA, 42 HR, 6 SB, 338 TB, 118 R, 99 RBI, .330 AVG, .460 OBP, .649 SLG, 198 OPS+
WAR: 9.7
After winning 96 games and making the playoffs in 2014, the Washington Nationals held a share of first place as late as Aug. 2 of the following season in 2015.
Though the Nationals could neither hold onto first place nor even salvage a playoff spot, this was no fault of Bryce Harper's. His production barely slipped down the stretch:
- Through Aug. 2: 1.128 OPS, 29 HR
- After Aug. 2: 1.076 OPS, 13 HR
In tandem with the 1.406 OPS he had in the 77 wins that he participated in—an all-time top-10 mark, by the way—Harper pulled his weight and then some in 2015. You know, just in case anyone thought or still thinks there was little at stake as he put up his overall numbers.
As it is, said numbers would be historic anyway. Harper was the first player to achieve a 198 OPS+ since Barry Bonds in 2004, and he's one of only 14 players in history to top a .460 OBP and 40 homers in a season.
12. 2016 NL MVP: 3B Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
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2016 Stats: 155 G, 699 PA, 39 HR, 8 SB, 334 TB, 121 R, 102 RBI, .292 AVG, .385 OBP, .554 SLG, 146 OPS+
WAR: 7.3
After helping his team break out of a six-year playoff absence with a Rookie of the Year-winning effort in 2015, Kris Bryant had a major hand in the Chicago Cubs winning 103 games a year later.
Bryant participated in 98 of those wins and aided them with a .343/.443/.688 batting line and 34 of his 39 homers. So even if he finished two home runs short of the overall lead in the NL that year, he at least salvaged the league lead for homers in wins.
Taken in tandem with his league-high WAR, this means there are at least two good reasons Bryant captured the NL MVP in 2016. And yet, there are also nits to pick here.
11. 2014 AL MVP: CF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
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2014 Stats: 157 G, 705 PA, 36 HR, 16 SB, 338 TB, 115 R, 111 RBI, .287 AVG, .377 OBP, .561 SLG, 169 OPS+
WAR: 7.7
After missing out in 2012 and 2013, Trout finally won the AL MVP in 2014 on the strength of what, ironically, now looks like one of his lesser seasons.
The 169 OPS+ he had in 2014 was a step back from the 179 mark he had in 2013. He was also just OK in hitting .252/.346/.487 down the stretch of the Angels' 98-win campaign, in which his time his weakness against high fastballs became impossible to ignore.
Trout did, however, basically lap the rest of the AL when it came to WPA. He was unstoppable with a 1.112 OPS in high-leverage spots, with one memorable highlight being a game-tying grand slam off Chris Sale in June.
So, a great Mike Trout season? Kinda, sorta. But a great MVP season nonetheless? You bet. And certainly a hard win to quibble with in retrospect, as the 2014 season was otherwise a lean one for position players as pitching dominated.
10. 2013 NL MVP: CF Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
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2013 Stats: 157 G, 674 PA, 21 HR, 27 SB, 296 TB, 97 R, 84 RBI, .317 AVG, .404 OBP, .508 SLG, 157 OPS+
WAR: 7.8
Is it weird that Andrew McCutchen won the MVP in 2013 despite not leading the National League in any major statistical category? A little bit, yeah.
But if nothing else, he did top NL position players in WAR. And certainly at the time, the greater context of his excellent season wasn't shrouded in secrecy then and indeed shouldn't be now.
Coming into 2013, the Pittsburgh Pirates hadn't made the playoffs since all the way back in 1992. McCutchen's bat was one of the driving forces behind them snapping that streak in '13, and particularly in the second half as he hit .339/.441/.561 while the Pirates battled the St. Louis Cardinals for first place.
What's more, McCutchen's three defensive runs saved made him a key part of a defense that ranked third in MLB for that category. So in more ways than one, he was the man in the middle of a 94-win season and a playoff appearance that was 21 years in the making.
9. 2015 AL MVP: 3B Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
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2015 Stats: 158 G, 711 PA, 41 HR, 6 SB, 352 TB, 122 R, 123 RBI, .297 AVG, .371 OBP, .568 SLG, 151 OPS+
WAR: 7.1
As he was worth 2.5 more WAR than Josh Donaldson, there was a strong case at the time that Mike Trout deserved to win his second successive MVP in 2015.
Similar to McCutchen in 2013, however, Donaldson's MVP case was boosted by an enticing narrative. The 2015 season saw the Toronto Blue Jays return to the playoffs for the first time since 1993, and it was hardly coincidental that this was also Donaldson's first year with the team.
His offensive numbers were excellent in general, yet even better under a microscope. He raked with a 1.150 OPS in high leverage. And after the Blue Jays closed Aug. 1 six games out of first place in the AL East, Donaldson paced a charge to first with a .994 OPS and 15 homers down the stretch.
The "Bringer of Rain" was also a maker of outs on defense, where he led American League third basemen in ultimate zone rating. So even with the benefit of six years of hindsight, it's hard to fault the voters for favoring him over Trout in 2015.
8. 2012 AL MVP: 1B Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
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2012 Stats: 161 G, 697 PA, 44 HR, 4 SB, 377 TB, 109 R, 139 RBI, .330 AVG, .393 OBP, .606 SLG, 164 OPS+
WAR: 7.1
When it comes to Miguel Cabrera's 2012 season, your mileage may vary depending on how you feel about Mike Trout and the Triple Crown.
With regard to Trout, well, he did have an AL-high 10.5 WAR while playing for an Angels team that won more games (89) than Cabrera's Detroit Tigers (88). With regard to the Triple Crown, the stance here is that average, home runs and RBI make for an antiquated holy trinity of offensive stats.
And yet, what Cabrera did at the plate in 2012 truly mattered. Especially after the Tigers were 2.5 games out of first place at the end of July, when he turned on the jets and hit .344/.411/.670 with 19 home runs (seven of which put Detroit in the lead) the rest of the way to lead them to the AL Central title.
Factoring in how the 2012 season also saw Cabrera set career highs for hits and total bases, there are a variety of angles from which to argue it was the finest hour of Cabrera's Hall of Fame-bound career.
7. 2013 AL MVP: 1B Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
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2013 Stats: 148 G, 652 PA, 44 HR, 3 SB, 353 TB, 103 R, 137 RBI, .348 AVG, .442 OBP, .636 SLG, 190 OPS+
WAR: 7.5
It's a bummer Miguel Cabrera couldn't win the Triple Crown again, because it would otherwise be that much easier to identify his 2013 season as his true statistical peak.
It's not an easy thing for a single hitter to lead all of MLB in average, OBP and slugging, yet Cabrera did so while also rising to the occasion by increasing his productivity according to the leverage. For a reminder of what it looked like in real time, go revisit his epic battle with Mariano Rivera from August of that year.
Alas, another bummer of Cabrera's 2013 season is that his production slipped as his body fell into disrepair down the stretch. Yet he never devolved into an easy out, continuing to get on base at a .395 clip in September to help the Tigers capture a third straight division title.
6. 2012 NL MVP: C Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
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2012 Stats: 148 G, 610 PA, 24 HR, 1 SB, 291 TB, 78 R, 103 RBI, .336 AVG, .408 OBP, .549 SLG, 171 OPS+
WAR: 7.6
As we say happy trails to Buster Posey following his retirement last week, it's worth remembering just what he was coming back from as he was gearing up for the 2012 season.
The year before was the one in which he fractured his left fibula and tore three ligaments in his ankle on a nasty collision at the plate. Had he returned and struggled to regain his Rookie of the Year-winning form of 2010, nobody would have been disappointed.
And yet, Posey was downright spectacular. He was one of the National League's five best defenders by way of defensive runs saved, not to mention the best hitter in all of baseball if his average and OPS+ are to be believed.
Posey also hit better in high and medium leverage than he did in low leverage, and he rallied the San Francisco Giants to an NL West title by hitting .386/.458/.649 after they fell out of first place in July. So in any discussion about the peak of his Cooperstown-worthy career, let there be no question that it was 2012.
5. 2014 NL MVP: LHP Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
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2014 Stats: 27 G, 27 GS, 21 W, 3 L, 198.1 IP, 139 H (9 HR), 239 K, 31 BB, 0.857 WHIP, 1.77 ERA, 197 ERA+
WAR: 8.2
Once he had to go on the injured list with a bad back following the Dodgers' trip to Australia in March, it looked like 2014 had a chance to be a lost season for Clayton Kershaw.
Upon his return, a May 17 start in which he utterly bombed at the Arizona Diamondbacks didn't help matters. But from then through the end of the season, Kershaw authored the signature stretch of his Cooperstown-worthy career.
He made 23 starts between May 23 and Sept. 24, winning 19 of them and racking up a 1.43 ERA and 211-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 176 innings. His no-hitter—which should have been a perfect game—from June 18 still stands as one of the greatest pitching performances of all time.
What's more, Kershaw's dominance really mattered to the Dodgers. Though they held first place in the NL West for much of 2014, their lead got as slim as two games as late as Sept. 17. Yet Kershaw didn't blink, winning each of his last seven starts to the tune of a 1.53 ERA.
4. 2011 AL MVP: RHP Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
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2011 Stats: 34 G, 34 GS, 24 W, 5 L, 251.0 IP, 174 H (24 HR), 250 K, 57 BB, 0.920 WHIP, 2.40 ERA, 172 ERA+
WAR: 8.6
A decade later, it might be hard to remember Justin Verlander's triumph in the 2011 AL MVP race was a controversial (and close) one at the expense of Jacoby Ellsbury and Jose Bautista.
Was it the wins that swayed voters? Given that wins were still very much in vogue back then and his 24 victories were the most for an individual pitcher in the American League in over 20 years, maybe...probably...definitely.
It's to Verlander's credit, though, that he truly earned his wins. Of the 34 starts he made in 2011, exactly none were shorter than six innings. He also got an average of 4.7 runs of support, or slightly less than the 4.9 runs that the Tigers otherwise averaged as they won the AL Central in 2011.
The hard-throwing right-hander was never better than in his final 27 starts, in which he went 23-4 with a 2.08 ERA over 203 innings. And in 2021, it should be appreciated that Verlander's 2011 campaign is the most recent and very likely the last time we'll ever see a pitcher top 250 innings with sub-2.50 ERA.
3. 2018 NL MVP: LF/RF Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
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2018 Stats: 147 G, 651 PA, 36 HR, 22 SB, 343 TB, 118 R, 110 RBI, .326 AVG, .402 OBP, .598 SLG, 164 OPS+
WAR: 7.3
Despite leading the National League in average, slugging, total bases and OPS+, Christian Yelich somehow only ranked fifth in WAR for 2018. From that perspective, at least, he didn't deserve the NL MVP.
That he nonetheless got 29 of 30 first-place votes, however, still captures just how much of a no-brainer he was for the award three years ago.
Yelich notably topped even Mookie Betts in WPA, which owes much to how he did his best hitting in medium and high leverage. His second half was also the best single half of the 2010s, as he was the only player throughout the whole decade to run at least a 1.200 OPS over 250 plate appearances in one half.
That production ultimately helped the Brewers erase a 2.5-game deficit in the NL Central at the All-Star break. It all culminated in an eight-game win streak in which Yelich hit .458 with five home runs, capped by a 3-for-4 effort against the Cubs in a Game 163 showdown that delivered a division title to Milwaukee.
2. 2019 NL MVP: OF/1B Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers
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2019 Stats: 156 G, 661 PA, 47 HR, 15 SB, 351 TB, 121 R, 115 RBI, .305 AVG, .406 OBP, .629 SLG, 167 OPS+
WAR: 8.6
The 2019 NL MVP race was an all-timer right up until Yelich—he of the 44 home runs and NL-leading marks for average, on-base and slugging—broke his kneecap on a foul ball on Sept. 10.
Had Yelich stayed on the field for the remainder of the season, he might ultimately have won the MVP over Cody Bellinger. Crucially, Yelich had a clear edge on Bellinger in WPA and had generally been the more consistent hitter of the two. Indeed, Bellinger's OPS declined on a monthly basis in 2019.
In his defense, though, it's impossible to look at Bellinger's numbers from 2019 and not be wowed. And even if his returns gradually diminished, he held up under pressure well with a 1.014 OPS in high leverage.
Bellinger was also a veritable Swiss Army knife for the Dodgers on defense, where he had 18 defensive runs saved just in right field while also moonlighting in center and at first base. So even if the Yelich "What if?" remains a fascinating question, there's little doubt Bellinger's MVP was well earned.
1. 2018 AL MVP: RF Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
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2018 Stats: 136 G, 614 PA, 32 HR, 30 SB, 333 TB, 129 R, 80 RBI, .346 AVG, .438 OBP, .640 SLG, 186 OPS+
WAR: 10.7
The one stain on Mookie Betts' 2018 season is that he had to miss a couple weeks with an abdominal strain. That didn't stop him, though, from winning the AL MVP or from making a little history in the process.
Only two players have ever needed fewer games to achieve a 30-30 season. Betts' 10.7 WAR also was (and still is) the highest by a position player since Barry Bonds in 2004, and his 136 games are the fewest that anyone has ever needed to hit that mark. The next player on that list? Babe Ruth.
Even though he couldn't top Yelich for the major league lead, Betts did salvage the top AL mark for WPA. He slugged .712 and had a 1.155 OPS in high leverage, with his biggest hit being his 13-pitch grand slam off J.A. Happ from July.
Betts was also the best baserunner in the majors, as well as one of the league's best outfielders courtesy of his 18 defensive runs saved. Note, too, that the Boston Red Sox won 108 games but might have won upwards of 110 if Betts had stayed healthy all year. When he played, they went 94-42.
Put simply, there's more than enough quality here to make up for the lesser quantity.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
