World Series MVP List: Every Winner by Year
Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2025 World Series MVP. He started Games 2 and 6, then finished Game 7 out of the bullpen.
The award began in 1955. Through 2025, 73 MVP awards have gone out in 70 World Series. Since 2017, it has been called the Willie Mays World Series MVP Award.
The 2026 World Series starts Friday, October 23. We add the 2026 MVP the night the Series ends.
World Series MVPs by position
Pitchers have won 30 of the 73 awards. Third basemen and outfielders are next, with 10 each. Tap a spot on the field to see every winner.
MVPs by position
Tap a spot on the field to see every World Series MVP who played there. Pick a team to count only its winners.
73 MVP awards in 70 World Series, 1955 to 2025 (no Series in 1994). Jorge Soler, Paul Molitor and Ben Zobrist played more than one spot; each is shown once.
Every World Series MVP by year
World Series MVPs from 2000 to 2025
| Year | MVP | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | Los Angeles Dodgers | Pitcher |
| 2024 | Freddie Freeman | Los Angeles Dodgers | First base |
| 2023 | Corey Seager | Texas Rangers | Shortstop |
| 2022 | Jeremy Peña | Houston Astros | Shortstop |
| 2021 | Jorge Soler | Atlanta Braves | Outfield |
| 2020 | Corey Seager | Los Angeles Dodgers | Shortstop |
| 2019 | Stephen Strasburg | Washington Nationals | Pitcher |
| 2018 | Steve Pearce | Boston Red Sox | First base |
| 2017 | George Springer | Houston Astros | Outfield |
| 2016 | Ben Zobrist | Chicago Cubs | Outfield |
| 2015 | Salvador Pérez | Kansas City Royals | Catcher |
| 2014 | Madison Bumgarner | San Francisco Giants | Pitcher |
| 2013 | David Ortiz | Boston Red Sox | Designated hitter |
| 2012 | Pablo Sandoval | San Francisco Giants | Third base |
| 2011 | David Freese | St. Louis Cardinals | Third base |
| 2010 | Édgar Rentería | San Francisco Giants | Shortstop |
| 2009 | Hideki Matsui | New York Yankees | Designated hitter |
| 2008 | Cole Hamels | Philadelphia Phillies | Pitcher |
| 2007 | Mike Lowell | Boston Red Sox | Third base |
| 2006 | David Eckstein | St. Louis Cardinals | Shortstop |
| 2005 | Jermaine Dye | Chicago White Sox | Outfield |
| 2004 | Manny Ramírez | Boston Red Sox | Outfield |
| 2003 | Josh Beckett | Florida Marlins | Pitcher |
| 2002 | Troy Glaus | Anaheim Angels | Third base |
| 2001 | Randy Johnson | Arizona Diamondbacks | Pitcher |
| 2001 | Curt Schilling | Arizona Diamondbacks | Pitcher |
| 2000 | Derek Jeter | New York Yankees | Shortstop |
Two pitchers shared the 2001 award. Team names as they were that year. Data as of October 2026.
World Series MVPs from 1975 to 1999
| Year | MVP | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Mariano Rivera | New York Yankees | Relief pitcher |
| 1998 | Scott Brosius | New York Yankees | Third base |
| 1997 | Liván Hernández | Florida Marlins | Pitcher |
| 1996 | John Wetteland | New York Yankees | Relief pitcher |
| 1995 | Tom Glavine | Atlanta Braves | Pitcher |
| 1994 | No award | No World Series (players’ strike) | |
| 1993 | Paul Molitor | Toronto Blue Jays | Designated hitter |
| 1992 | Pat Borders | Toronto Blue Jays | Catcher |
| 1991 | Jack Morris | Minnesota Twins | Pitcher |
| 1990 | José Rijo | Cincinnati Reds | Pitcher |
| 1989 | Dave Stewart | Oakland Athletics | Pitcher |
| 1988 | Orel Hershiser | Los Angeles Dodgers | Pitcher |
| 1987 | Frank Viola | Minnesota Twins | Pitcher |
| 1986 | Ray Knight | New York Mets | Third base |
| 1985 | Bret Saberhagen | Kansas City Royals | Pitcher |
| 1984 | Alan Trammell | Detroit Tigers | Shortstop |
| 1983 | Rick Dempsey | Baltimore Orioles | Catcher |
| 1982 | Darrell Porter | St. Louis Cardinals | Catcher |
| 1981 | Ron Cey | Los Angeles Dodgers | Third base |
| 1981 | Pedro Guerrero | Los Angeles Dodgers | Outfield |
| 1981 | Steve Yeager | Los Angeles Dodgers | Catcher |
| 1980 | Mike Schmidt | Philadelphia Phillies | Third base |
| 1979 | Willie Stargell | Pittsburgh Pirates | First base |
| 1978 | Bucky Dent | New York Yankees | Shortstop |
| 1977 | Reggie Jackson | New York Yankees | Outfield |
| 1976 | Johnny Bench | Cincinnati Reds | Catcher |
| 1975 | Pete Rose | Cincinnati Reds | Third base |
Three Dodgers shared the 1981 award. Team names as they were that year. Data as of October 2026.
World Series MVPs from 1955 to 1974
| Year | MVP | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Rollie Fingers | Oakland Athletics | Relief pitcher |
| 1973 | Reggie Jackson | Oakland Athletics | Outfield |
| 1972 | Gene Tenace | Oakland Athletics | Catcher |
| 1971 | Roberto Clemente | Pittsburgh Pirates | Outfield |
| 1970 | Brooks Robinson | Baltimore Orioles | Third base |
| 1969 | Donn Clendenon | New York Mets | First base |
| 1968 | Mickey Lolich | Detroit Tigers | Pitcher |
| 1967 | Bob Gibson | St. Louis Cardinals | Pitcher |
| 1966 | Frank Robinson | Baltimore Orioles | Outfield |
| 1965 | Sandy Koufax | Los Angeles Dodgers | Pitcher |
| 1964 | Bob Gibson | St. Louis Cardinals | Pitcher |
| 1963 | Sandy Koufax | Los Angeles Dodgers | Pitcher |
| 1962 | Ralph Terry | New York Yankees | Pitcher |
| 1961 | Whitey Ford | New York Yankees | Pitcher |
| 1960 | Bobby Richardson | New York Yankees | Second base |
| 1959 | Larry Sherry | Los Angeles Dodgers | Relief pitcher |
| 1958 | Bob Turley | New York Yankees | Pitcher |
| 1957 | Lew Burdette | Milwaukee Braves | Pitcher |
| 1956 | Don Larsen | New York Yankees | Pitcher |
| 1955 | Johnny Podres | Brooklyn Dodgers | Pitcher |
Team names as they were that year. Data as of October 2026.
Jack Morris was the 1991 MVP. He pitched all 10 innings of a 1-0 win in Game 7. Gene Larkin, who drove in the winning run, is sometimes listed by mistake.
Players with 2 World Series MVPs
| Player | MVP years | Team or teams |
|---|---|---|
| Corey Seager | 2020, 2023 | Dodgers, Rangers |
| Reggie Jackson | 1973, 1977 | Athletics, Yankees |
| Bob Gibson | 1964, 1967 | Cardinals |
| Sandy Koufax | 1963, 1965 | Dodgers |
Data as of October 2026, after the 2025 World Series.
No player has won it 3 times. Jackson and Seager won theirs with 2 different teams.
World Series MVPs by team
| Team | MVP awards |
|---|---|
| Yankees | 12 |
| Dodgers | 11 |
| Cardinals | 5 |
| Athletics | 4 |
| Red Sox | 4 |
| Braves | 3 |
| Orioles | 3 |
| Reds | 3 |
| Giants | 3 |
Teams with 3 or more awards. Each count covers every city the team has played in, and the 1981 Dodgers had 3 winners. Data as of October 2026.
The Yankees lead with 12 MVP awards. Their most recent came in 2009, when Hideki Matsui won it as the designated hitter.
World Series MVPs by position
| Position | MVP awards | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | 30 | 4 of them pitched in relief |
| Third base | 10 | Last: Pablo Sandoval, 2012 |
| Outfield | 10 | Last: Jorge Soler, 2021 |
| Shortstop | 8 | Last: Corey Seager, 2023 |
| Catcher | 7 | Last: Salvador Pérez, 2015 |
| First base | 4 | Last: Freddie Freeman, 2024 |
| Designated hitter | 3 | Last: David Ortiz, 2013 |
| Second base | 1 | Bobby Richardson, 1960 |
Each winner is counted at one position. Jorge Soler, Paul Molitor and Ben Zobrist played more than one spot. Data as of October 2026.
Four relievers have won the award: Larry Sherry in 1959, Rollie Fingers in 1974, John Wetteland in 1996 and Mariano Rivera in 1999.
Shared awards and a losing team’s MVP
The award has been shared twice. Three Dodgers won it together in 1981: Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling of the Diamondbacks shared it in 2001.
Bobby Richardson of the Yankees won it in 1960, even though the Pirates won that World Series. He is the only player from a losing team to win the award.
How the World Series MVP is picked
The editors of Sport magazine picked the first winners in 1955. Today, media members, MLB officials and fans all have a vote.
Barry Bonds leads the regular season award with 7, and every multiple winner is on the most MLB MVPs list. More MVP counts are on the MVP hub. More baseball pages are on the MLB hub.
World Series MVP questions
Who won the 2025 World Series MVP?
Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He started Games 2 and 6 against the Toronto Blue Jays, then pitched the end of Game 7 in relief.
Who has the most World Series MVPs?
Four players have won it twice, and nobody has won it 3 times. They are Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Reggie Jackson and Corey Seager.
Has a player on the losing team ever won World Series MVP?
Yes, once. Bobby Richardson of the Yankees won it in 1960, when the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series.
Has a relief pitcher won World Series MVP?
Yes, 4 times. Larry Sherry won it in 1959, Rollie Fingers in 1974, John Wetteland in 1996 and Mariano Rivera in 1999.
When will the 2026 World Series MVP be named?
Right after the last game of the 2026 World Series. Game 1 is Friday, October 23. If the Series needs all 7 games, Game 7 is Saturday, October 31.
What is the World Series MVP award called?
It is the Willie Mays World Series MVP Award. The award got that name in 2017. It has been given every year since 1955, except 1994, when there was no World Series.
Sources
- Baseball-Reference: World Series MVP Award, every winner since 1955
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Jack Morris and Game 7 of the 1991 World Series
- Also used: ABC and Fox Sports for the full list of winners, Fox Sports, ClutchPoints and Fox News for positions, MLB.com for Bobby Richardson and the 1991 Game 7, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated for the 2025 MVP, and Fox Sports and NBC for the 2026 schedule
Last verified: October 19, 2026. We update this page the night each World Series ends.
