How many times have NL MVP and AL MVP played in the World Series?
The 2024 World Series will commence on Friday, Oct. 25, and it will be the most predictable matchup imaginable. Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, a storybook duel between two of baseball's most expensive, star-studded rosters.
A deep-rooted history connects these teams. It isn't the first time they've faced off in October, although it is the first time two of this generation's most dominant individual players — Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani — will duel in the World Series. This is what sports are all about. Great players in big moments, seeing who can one-up the other.
We won't know the official results for MLB awards voting until after the World Series, but it's no secret that Judge will take home American League MVP, while National League MVP belongs to Ohtani. There haven't been two better players this season, with all due respect to Francisco Lindor, Bobby Witt Jr., and the shortstop position.
Judge slashed .322/.458/.701 with 58 home runs and 144 RBI (those are real numbers, y'all). Ohtani, freed from his pitching obligations for a season, decided to become the MLB's most dangerous base runner in addition to mashing 54 homers on .310/.390/.646 splits. He became the first player to ever top 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same season, upstaging the majestic 40-70 season previous NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. put together in 2023.
We haven't seen two players this good in the World Series at the same time since... well, it's been awhile. The history of MVPs facing off in the World Series is brief but full of memorable performances. Here's a full list of back MVP vs. MVP duels on baseball's greatest stage.
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Who many times have NL MVP and AL MVP played in the World Series?
A World Series featuring both MVP winners has only happened six times since the Divisional Era began in 1969. That is a credit to the team nature of this sport. It takes a lot more than one elite player to contend at the highest level in baseball. Thankfully for both the Dodgers and the Yankees, money is no object when constructing these rosters. Both Ohtani and Judge had plenty of help all season.
Here is the full list:
Year | AL MVP | NL MVP | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
2024* | Aaron Judge (NYY) | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | TBD |
2012 | Miguel Cabrera (DET) | Buster Posey (SF) | SF 4-0 DET |
1988 | Jose Canseco (OAK) | Kirk Gibson (LAD) | LAD 4-1 OAK |
1980 | George Brett (KC) | Mike Schmidt (PHI) | PHI 4-1 KC |
1976 | Thurman Munson (NYY) | Joe Morgan (CIN) | CIN 4-0 NYY |
1975 | Fred Lynn (BOS) | Joe Morgan (CIN) | CIN 4-3 BOS |
1970 | Boog Powell (BAL) | Johnny Bench (CIN) | BAL 4-1 CIN |
Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are penciled in for now, although technically the voters could surprise us with an alternate winner. Assuming the, uh, blatantly-correct picks are made, however, Ohtani and Judge will become the seventh pair of MVPs to battle on the World Series stage.
Both have a ways to go before catching former Cincinnati Reds standout Joe Morgan, however, who appeared in two such matchups back-to-back — and won both. Shoutout to the Big Red Machine.
New York and Los Angeles promises to be a high-scoring series. Judge has struggled in the postseason throughout his career, but a few big hits late in the Yankees' ALCS victory over Cleveland bode well for his performance in the World Series. Ohtani, meanwhile, has been unbelievable whenever runners are in scoring position. The dude is absurd.
Pop that popcorn, folks, and get ready for a proper show.
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