Most MLB MVPs: Barry Bonds Has 7, and 30 Players Have 2 or More
Who has the most MLB MVPs? Barry Bonds, with 7. He won 2 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and 5 with the San Francisco Giants from 1990 to 2004.
Shohei Ohtani is next with 4, and Aaron Judge is 1 of 11 players with 3. In all, 30 players have won the award at least twice since writers took over the vote in 1931.
Counts here are as of October 2026. The 2026 winners will be named on Thursday, November 12.
Who has won the most MVPs in MLB history?
Barry Bonds: 7 MVPs, with 4 in a row
Bonds won with the Pirates in 1990 and 1992, then with the Giants in 1993. Eight years later, he started a run of 4 straight, from 2001 to 2004. Nobody else has won 4 in a row.
Shohei Ohtani: 4 MVPs, and every one unanimous
Ohtani won with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023. He won again with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 and 2025. All 30 writers put him first each time. No other player has more than 1 unanimous MVP.
In 2024 he became the first full time designated hitter to win the award. He was back on the mound in 2025, with 14 starts and a 2.87 ERA.
Aaron Judge and the rest of the 3 MVP club
Judge won in 2022, 2024 and 2025, all with the New York Yankees. His 2024 award was unanimous, and the other 2 were not.
| Player | MVPs | Years | Team or teams | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Bonds | 7 | 1990, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 | Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants | Outfield |
| Shohei Ohtani | 4 | 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers | Designated hitter |
| Aaron Judge | 3 | 2022, 2024, 2025 | New York Yankees | Outfield |
| Mike Trout | 3 | 2014, 2016, 2019 | Los Angeles Angels | Outfield |
| Albert Pujols | 3 | 2005, 2008, 2009 | St. Louis Cardinals | First base |
| Alex Rodriguez | 3 | 2003, 2005, 2007 | Texas Rangers, New York Yankees | Shortstop, third base |
| Mike Schmidt | 3 | 1980, 1981, 1986 | Philadelphia Phillies | Third base |
| Mickey Mantle | 3 | 1956, 1957, 1962 | New York Yankees | Outfield |
| Yogi Berra | 3 | 1951, 1954, 1955 | New York Yankees | Catcher |
| Roy Campanella | 3 | 1951, 1953, 1955 | Brooklyn Dodgers | Catcher |
| Stan Musial | 3 | 1943, 1946, 1948 | St. Louis Cardinals | Outfield, first base |
| Joe DiMaggio | 3 | 1939, 1941, 1947 | New York Yankees | Outfield |
| Jimmie Foxx | 3 | 1932, 1933, 1938 | Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox | First base |
All 13 players with 3 or more MVP awards since 1931, most recent first within each count.
Which players have won 2 MVPs?
Seventeen players have exactly 2. Bryce Harper is the most recent, with his second in 2021 for the Philadelphia Phillies.
| Player | Years | League | Team or teams | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Harper | 2015, 2021 | National | Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies | Outfield |
| Miguel Cabrera | 2012, 2013 | American | Detroit Tigers | Third base |
| Juan González | 1996, 1998 | American | Texas Rangers | Outfield |
| Frank Thomas | 1993, 1994 | American | Chicago White Sox | First base |
| Cal Ripken Jr. | 1983, 1991 | American | Baltimore Orioles | Shortstop |
| Robin Yount | 1982, 1989 | American | Milwaukee Brewers | Shortstop, outfield |
| Dale Murphy | 1982, 1983 | National | Atlanta Braves | Outfield |
| Joe Morgan | 1975, 1976 | National | Cincinnati Reds | Second base |
| Johnny Bench | 1970, 1972 | National | Cincinnati Reds | Catcher |
| Frank Robinson | 1961, 1966 | Both | Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles | Outfield |
| Willie Mays | 1954, 1965 | National | New York Giants, San Francisco Giants | Outfield |
| Roger Maris | 1960, 1961 | American | New York Yankees | Outfield |
| Ernie Banks | 1958, 1959 | National | Chicago Cubs | Shortstop |
| Ted Williams | 1946, 1949 | American | Boston Red Sox | Outfield |
| Hal Newhouser | 1944, 1945 | American | Detroit Tigers | Pitcher |
| Hank Greenberg | 1935, 1940 | American | Detroit Tigers | First base, outfield |
| Carl Hubbell | 1933, 1936 | National | New York Giants | Pitcher |
The 17 players with exactly 2 MVP awards, newest first.
Willie Mays waited 11 years between his 2 awards, from 1954 to 1965. No multiple winner has gone longer between awards.
How long did each player stay on top?
Pick a group, or sort by the widest window. Tap a name for the years and teams.
First MVP to last, for every multiple winner
Each line runs from a player’s first MVP to his last. Dots mark the awards, and back to back years join into one bar.
Through the 2025 awards. Counts start in 1931 unless the early awards switch is on.
Bonds has the widest window, 14 years from his first MVP to his last. Mays is next at 11.
Who has won MVP in back-to-back years?
15 players have repeated
| Player | Back to back seasons |
|---|---|
| Shohei Ohtani | 2023 to 2025 |
| Aaron Judge | 2024 and 2025 |
| Miguel Cabrera | 2012 and 2013 |
| Albert Pujols | 2008 and 2009 |
| Barry Bonds | 1992 and 1993 and 2001 to 2004 |
| Frank Thomas | 1993 and 1994 |
| Mike Schmidt | 1980 and 1981 |
| Dale Murphy | 1982 and 1983 |
| Joe Morgan | 1975 and 1976 |
| Mickey Mantle | 1956 and 1957 |
| Roger Maris | 1960 and 1961 |
| Ernie Banks | 1958 and 1959 |
| Yogi Berra | 1954 and 1955 |
| Hal Newhouser | 1944 and 1945 |
| Jimmie Foxx | 1932 and 1933 |
Every player who won the MVP in consecutive seasons.
Only Bonds and Ohtani won 3 straight
Bonds stretched his streak to 4, from 2001 to 2004. Ohtani won 3 in a row from 2023 to 2025. The first came in the American League and the next 2 in the National League.
2025: both leagues repeat for the first time
Judge and Ohtani both won again in 2025. It was the first season in which both MVPs were repeat winners. Judge edged Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, while Ohtani was a unanimous pick.
What other MVP records stand out?
Two players won in both leagues
Frank Robinson won with the Cincinnati Reds in 1961 and the Baltimore Orioles in 1966. Ohtani is the other, and he has 2 in each league.
Two pitchers won it twice
Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants won in 1933 and 1936. Hal Newhouser of the Detroit Tigers won in 1944 and 1945, the first pitcher to win in consecutive seasons.
Four players won at 2 positions
Hank Greenberg won at first base and in the outfield, and so did Stan Musial. Robin Yount won at shortstop, then in the outfield. Alex Rodriguez won at shortstop for Texas and at third base for New York.
Do MVP awards before 1931 count?
No. MLB starts the count in 1931, when the Baseball Writers’ Association of America began voting. The Chalmers Award of 1911 to 1914 and the League Awards of the 1920s are left out.
Who would gain: Gehrig, Cochrane, Hornsby and Johnson
| Player | Award before 1931 | MVP since 1931 |
|---|---|---|
| Lou Gehrig | 1927, Yankees | 1936, Yankees |
| Mickey Cochrane | 1928, Athletics | 1934, Tigers |
| Rogers Hornsby | 1925, Cardinals and 1929, Cubs | None |
| Walter Johnson | 1913 and 1924, Senators | None |
Players who would reach 2 if the early awards counted.
Count those 4, and 34 players would have 2 or more instead of 30.
How is the MLB MVP picked?
30 writers vote in each league
Members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America cast the votes. Two writers from each MLB city get a ballot, so 30 vote for each award. Every ballot ranks 10 players and is due before the playoffs begin.
How the points add up
A first-place vote is worth 14 points. Second place is worth 9. Each place after that drops by 1 point, down to 1 point for 10th.
Judge won the 2025 American League award with 17 first place votes. Those votes alone were worth 238 points.
He finished with 355 points in all. Raleigh had 13 first place votes and 335 points.
The Landis name came off the plaque in 2020
The award plaque carried the name of former commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis from 1944. In 2020, 89% of the writers voted to remove it.
That year’s plaques were the first without his name.
When are the 2026 MVPs announced?
On Thursday, November 12, 2026. Rookie of the Year comes first, on November 9. Manager of the Year follows on November 10, and the Cy Young on November 11.
If Ohtani wins the National League award again, he will have 5. If Judge wins in the American League, he will have 4.
Which team has the most MVPs?
The New York Yankees, with 23 since 1931. The St. Louis Cardinals are second with 18.
Every MVP count we track is on the MVP hub. The World Series MVP list covers October’s own award. Other baseball pages sit on the MLB hub.
Quick answers
Who has the most MVPs in MLB history?
Barry Bonds, with 7. He won in 1990 and 1992 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and in 1993 and 2001 to 2004 with the San Francisco Giants. Shohei Ohtani is second with 4.
How many MVPs does Shohei Ohtani have?
Four. He won in 2021 and 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels and in 2024 and 2025 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. All 4 were unanimous, which no other player has done more than once.
How many players have won 3 or more MVPs?
Thirteen. Bonds has 7 and Ohtani has 4. The 11 players with 3 are Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Schmidt, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio and Jimmie Foxx.
When will the 2026 MLB MVP winners be named?
Thursday, November 12, 2026, the last day of awards week. The Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year and Cy Young winners are announced on the 3 days before it.
Sources
- Baseball-Reference: MVP winners and vote results for every season
- BBWAA: how writers are picked and how ballots are scored
- Other references: MLB.com for career MVP counts, positions, team totals, the 2025 winners and the 2026 awards schedule; the Associated Press for the 2025 votes; NBC for multiple winners; the Baseball Hall of Fame for Hubbell, Newhouser and Ted Williams; CBS Sports and MLB.com for the Landis decision.
Last verified: October 20, 2026. The 2026 winners go on this page the night of November 12.
