The ''Sporting News'' Player of the Year Award is awarded annually by ''

Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

'' to the most outstanding player in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

. The honor was first given in

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

History

The ''

'' established in 1936 the Player of the Year award. It is the oldest and most prestigious award given to the single player in MLB who had the most outstanding season. Until 1969, it was the only major award given to a single player from MLB, rather than to a player in each league. In 1969, ''

Baseball Digest ''Baseball Digest'' is a baseball magazine resource, published in Orlando, Florida by Grandstand Publishing, LLC. It is the longest-running baseball magazine in the United States. History and profile It was created by Herbert F. Simons, a spor ...

'' began its Player of the Year award for one player in all of MLB. (The award became limited to position players in 1994, when ''Baseball Digest'' added a new award for "Pitcher of the Year.") In 1993, the first

Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award The Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Best Baseball Player ESPY Award, has been presented annually since 1993 to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year, typical ...

was given. In 1998, the

Major League Baseball Players Association The Major League Baseball Players Association (or MLBPA) is the union representing all current Major League Baseball players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held a signed contract with a Major League club ...

(MLBPA) began its own

Player of the Year Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year (POY) . In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is he ...

award, for one player in all of MLB, as part of its Players Choice Awards. ''Baseball America'' also began its Major League Player of the Year award in 1998. In 2012, MLB's "GIBBY Awards" added an MLB Most Valuable Player category, which was renamed the Most Valuable Major Leaguer in 2014; its current name is the "Esurance MLB Awards" Best Major Leaguer.

Winners

Key

Awardees

Multiple wins

Players

Several players have won the award more than once. Ted Williams, Joe Morgan, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, and José Altuve are the only players to win the award in consecutive years. Ted Williams won the award five times. Sandy Koufax is the only pitcher to win the award more than once. Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds are the only players to win the award while playing with different teams. Stan Musial and Alex Rodriguez are the only players to win the award while playing different positions. The only tie was in 1962, when Don Drysdale and Maury Wills shared the honor. Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds are the only players to win the award with multiple teams. Alex Rodriguez won the award with the most teams (3). Winning multiple SN Player of the Year awards has been seen as guaranteed admission to the

National Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

. Barry Bonds is the only player with multiple awards, eligible for the Hall of Fame, but not a member of the Hall of Fame. The table is of the Players that have won two or more awards and the year they were inducted into Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Members of Baseball Hall of Fame Active players are not eligible for the Hall of Fame. Outfielders and Pitchers have won the most awards.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sporting News Player Of The Year Award Major League Baseball trophies and awards Baseball most valuable player awards Most valuable player awards Awards by magazines Awards established in 1936