How Many Times Have the MVPs From Both Leagues Faced Off in the World Series?

Ryan Phillips | Oct 24, 2024

Miguel Cabrera and Buster Posey both won MVP awards in 2012 and their teams faced each other in the World Series. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The 2024 World Series features two big-time teams and two big-time players. The New York Yankees will battle the Los Angeles Dodgers, and both teams have their league's likely MVP on the roster.

Aaron Judge is almost certain to be named American League MVP after a stellar season, and Shohei Ohtani will likely win National League MVP after a record-breaking campaign. Now, the two best players in the game will face off in the World Series.

During the 2024 season, Judge hit a career-high .322, with a career-high on-base percentage of .458, and a career-best slugging percentage of .701. His career-best 1.159 OPS led baseball, as did his 58 home runs, 144 RBIs and 10.8 WAR. He was, hands down, the best hitter in baseball.

Ohtani's season wasn't far behind. He slashed .310/.390/.646 with 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, an OPS of 1.036 and a 9.2 WAR. He also stole 59 bases, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases.

With this titanic matchup on the horizon we decided to look back and see other times MVPs from both leagues faced each other in the World Series. It turns out, it has happened a lot.

When was the last time both MVPs played in the World Series?

The last time two MVPs faced off in the World Series was 2012 when the Detroit Tigers played the San Francisco Giants.

Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera won his first of two consecutive MVP awards in 2012 and took home the AL's Triple Crown. He became the first player to win a Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Cabrera hit .330 that season with 44 home runs, 139 RBIs and an OPS of .999.

Giants catcher Buster Posey won his lone MVP in 2012 as he led the Giants to their second World Series title in three seasons. That year, Posey hit .336 with 24 home runs, 104 RBIS and an OPS of .957.

The 2012 World Series was the last time two MVPs faced each other, but it was also the first time two batting champions had faced each other since the 1954 World Series.

How many times have MVPs faced each other in the World Series?

MVPs have faced each other in the World Series a lot of times, but it has become increasingly rare since MLB moved to having divisions. That occurred in 1969 and since then it has only happened six times.

Cabrera and Posey faced off in 2012. The other years are listed below.

1988: Jose Canseco (Oakland Athletics, Kirk Gibson (Los Angeles Dodgers)

1980: George Brett (Kansas City Royals), Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia Phillies)

1976: Thurman Munson (New York Yankees), Joe Morgan (Cincinnati Reds)

1975: Fred Lynn (Boston Red Sox), Joe Morgan (Cincinnati Reds)

1970: Boog Powell (Baltimore Orioles), Johnny Bench (Cincinnati Reds)

Before the Divisional Era it happened 20 times.

World Series Year	AL MVP	NL MVP
2012	Miguel Cabrera, Tigers	Buster Posey, Giants
1988	Jose Canseco, A's	Kirk Gibson, Dodgers
1980	George Brett, Royals	Mike Schmidt, Phillies
1976	Thurman Munson, Yankees	Joe Morgan, Reds
1975	Fred Lynn, Red Sox	Joe Morgan, Reds
1970	Boog Powell, Orioles	Johnny Bench, Reds
1968	Denny McLain, Tigers	Bob Gibson, Cardinals
1967	Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox	Orlando Cepeda, Cardinals
1963	Elston Howard, Yankees	Sandy Koufax, Dodgers
1961	Roger Maris, Yankees	Frank Robinson, Reds
1960	Roger Maris, Yankees	Dick Groat, Pirates
1957	Mickey Mantle, Yankees	Hank Aaron, Braves
1956	Mickey Mantle, Yankees	Don Newcombe, Dodgers
1955	Yogi Berra, Yankees	Roy Campanella, Dodgers
1950	Phil Rizzuto, Yankees	Jim Konstanty, Phillips
1946	Ted Williams, Red Sox	Stan Musial, Cardinals
1945	Hal Newhouser, Tigers	Phil Cavarretta, Cubs
1943	Spud Chandler, Yankees	Stan Musial, Cardinals
1942	Joe Gordon, Yankees	Mort Cooper, Cardinals
1941	Joe DiMaggio, Yankees	Dolph Camilli, Dodgers
1940	Hank Greenberg, Tigers	Frank McCormick, Reds
1939	Joe DiMaggio, Yankees	Bucky Walters, Reds
1936	Lou Gehrig, Yankees	Carl Hubbell, Giants
1935	Hank Greenberg, Tigers	Gabby Hartnett, Cubs
1934	Mickey Cochrane, Tigers	Dizzy Dean, Cardinals
1931	Lefty Grove, Athletics	Frankie Frisch, Cardinals

As you can see, MVPs facing each other in the World Series was very common before MLB instituted divisions. It makes sense. Back then, the team in each league with the best regular season records earned berths in the World Series. It would also make sense that an MVP would come from a league's best team. The extra layer and randomness of modern playoff rounds make the best regular season player and team reaching the World Series less likely.

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