The Sporting News Player of the Year Award is awarded annually by The Sporting News to the most outstanding player in Major League Baseball. The honor was first given in .
History
The Sporting News established their Player of the Year award in 1936. It is the oldest still-extant 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 across MLB, rather than to a player in each league. In 1969, Baseball Digest 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 was given. In 1998, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) began its own Player of the Year 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
right|thumb|upright|Hall of Famer [[Ted Williams, five-time winner]]
right|thumb|upright|Hall of Famer [[Stan Musial, two-time winner]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|NL
|National League
|-
|AL
|American League
|-
|P
|Pitcher
|-
|C
|Catcher
|-
|1B
|First baseman
|-
|2B
|Second baseman
|-
|3B
|Third baseman
|-
|SS
|Shortstop
|-
|OF
|Outfielder
|-
|DH
|Designated hitter
|-
|BA
|Batting average
|-
|RBI
|Run batted in
|-
|HR
|Home runs
|-
|W-L
|Win Loss Record
|-
|K
|Strikeouts
|-
|ERA
|Earned run average
|-
|SB
|Stolen bases
|-
|R
|Runs scored
|-
|scope="row" style="background:#ffb;"| <sup></sup>
|Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#cfecec;"|
|Player is active
|-
|*
|Led League
|}
Awardees
thumb|right|upright|Hall of Famer [[Sandy Koufax, 2-time winner.]]
thumb|right|upright|Hall of Famer [[Joe Morgan, 2-time winner.]]
thumb|right|upright|Hall of Famer [[Willie Mays with the Giants in 1954.]]
thumb|right|upright|3-time winner [[Barry Bonds at the plate with the Giants]]
thumb|right|upright|3-time winner [[Alex Rodriguez as a New York Yankee]]
thumb|right|upright|3-time winner [[Albert Pujols]]
thumb|right|upright|Hall of Famer [[Cal Ripken Jr., 2-time winner at Yankee Stadium]]
thumb|right|upright|2-time winner [[Miguel Cabrera]]
250px|right|thumb|upright|2-time winner Altuve batting against the [[Pittsburgh Pirates, May 19, 2013]]
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!Year
!Name
!Club
!League
!Pos
!Notes
!class="unsortable"|References
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|New York Giants
|NL
|P
|W-L: 26*-6, ERA: 2.31*, K: 123
|
|-
|
|
|Cleveland Indians
|AL
|P
|W-L: 15-1, ERA: 2.55, K: 87
|
|-
|
|
|Cincinnati Reds
|NL
|P
|W-L: 15-10, ERA: 3.12, K: 125
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|New York Yankees
|AL
|OF
|BA: .381*, RBI: 126, HR: 30
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Cleveland Indians
|AL
|P
|W-L: 27*-11, ERA: 2.61*, K: 261*,<BR>AL Triple Crown
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(1)</sup>
|Boston Red Sox
|AL
|OF
|BA: .406*, RBI: 120, HR: 37*, Runs: 135*,<BR>BB: 147*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(2)</sup>
|Boston Red Sox
|AL
|OF
|BA: .356*, RBI: 137*, HR: 36*, Runs: 141*,<BR>BB: 145*, MLB Triple Crown
|
|-
|
|
|St. Louis Cardinals
|NL
|SS
|BA: .263, RBI: 63, HR: 6
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Detroit Tigers
|AL
|P
|W-L: 25*-9, ERA: 1.81*, K: 212*,<BR>MLB Triple Crown
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(1)</sup>
|St. Louis Cardinals
|NL
|1B
|BA: .365*, RBI: 103, HR: 16, Runs: 124*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(3)</sup>
|Boston Red Sox
|AL
|OF
|BA: .343*, RBI: 114*, HR: 32*, Runs: 125*,<BR>BB: 162*, AL Triple Crown
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(4)</sup>
|Boston Red Sox
|AL
|OF
|BA: .343, RBI: 159*, HR: 43*, Runs: 150*,<BR>BB: 162*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(2)</sup>
|St. Louis Cardinals
|NL
|OF
|BA: .355*, RBI: 108, HR: 32, Runs: 124
|
|-
|
|
|Cleveland Indians
|AL
|3B
|BA: .336, RBI: 145, HR: 43
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|New York Giants
|NL
|OF
|BA: .345*, RBI: 110, HR: 41, Runs: 119
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Brooklyn Dodgers
|NL
|OF
|BA: .309, RBI: 136*, HR: 42, Runs: 126*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|New York Yankees
|AL
|OF
|BA: .353*, RBI: 130*, HR: 52*, Runs: 132*,<BR>MLB Triple Crown
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(5)</sup>
|Boston Red Sox
|AL
|OF
|BA: .388*, RBI: 87, HR: 38, BB: 119
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Chicago White Sox
|AL
|P
|W-L: 22*-10, ERA: 3.17, K: 179
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Pittsburgh Pirates
|NL
|2B
|BA: .273, RBI: 64, HR: 11, Gold Glove
|
|-
|
|
|New York Yankees
|AL
|OF
|BA: .269, RBI: 141*, HR: 61*, Runs: 132*,<BR>Single Season Home Run Record
|
|-
|
|
|Los Angeles Dodgers
|NL
|SS
|BA: .299, RBI: 48, HR: 6, SB: 104*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Los Angeles Dodgers
|NL
|P
|W-L: 25*-9, ERA: 2.83 K: 232*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(1)</sup>
|Los Angeles Dodgers
|NL
|P
|W-L: 25*-5, ERA: 1.88* K: 306*,<BR>MLB Triple Crown
|
|-
|
|
|St. Louis Cardinals
|NL
|3B
|BA: .295, RBI: 119*, HR: 24
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(2)</sup>
|Los Angeles Dodgers
|NL
|P
|W-L: 26*-8, ERA: 2.04* K: 382*,<BR>MLB Triple Crown
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|San Francisco Giants
|NL
|1B
|BA: .320, RBI: 126*, HR: 45*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Cincinnati Reds
|NL
|C
|BA: .293, RBI: 148*, HR: 45*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|St. Louis Cardinals
|NL
|3B
|BA: .363*, RBI: 137, HR: 24
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Chicago Cubs
|NL
|OF
|BA: .333*, RBI: 122, HR: 37
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|
<sup></sup>
|Oakland Athletics
|AL
|OF
|BA: .293, RBI: 117*, HR: 32*, Runs: 99*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|St. Louis Cardinals
|NL
|OF
|BA: .306, RBI: 48, HR: 3, SB: 118*, R: 105
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(1)</sup>
|Cincinnati Reds
|NL
|2B
|BA: .327, RBI: 94, HR: 17, SB: 67, R: 107
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(2)</sup>
|Cincinnati Reds
|NL
|2B
|BA: .320, RBI: 111, HR: 27, SB: 60, R: 113
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Minnesota Twins
|AL
|1B
|BA: .388*, RBI: 100, HR: 14, SB: 23, R: 128*
|
|-
|
|
|New York Yankees
|AL
|P
|W-L: 25*-3, ERA: 1.74* K: 248
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Pittsburgh Pirates
|NL
|1B
|BA: .281, RBI: 82, HR: 32
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Kansas City Royals
|AL
|3B
|BA: .390*, RBI: 118, HR: 24
|
|-
|
|
|Los Angeles Dodgers
|NL
|P
|W-L 13-7, ERA: 2.48 K: 180*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Milwaukee Brewers
|AL
|SS
|BA: .331 RBI: 114, HR: 29
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup>(1)</sup>
|Baltimore Orioles
|AL
|SS
|BA: .318 RBI: 102, HR: 27, Runs: 121*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Chicago Cubs
|NL
|2B
|BA: .314 RBI: 84, HR: 19, Runs: 114
|
|-
|
|
|New York Yankees
|AL
|1B
|BA: .324 RBI: 145*, HR: 35
|
|-
|
|
|Boston Red Sox
|AL
|P
|W-L: 24*-4, ERA: 2.48*, K: 238
|
|-
|
|
|Toronto Blue Jays
|AL
|OF
|BA: .308 RBI: 134*, HR: 47
|
|-
|
|
|Los Angeles Dodgers
|NL
|P
|W-L: 23*-8, ERA: 2.26, K: 178
|
|-
|
|
|San Francisco Giants
|NL
|OF
|BA: .291 RBI: 125*, HR: 47*
|
|-
|
|<sup>(1)</sup>
|Pittsburgh Pirates
|NL
|OF
|BA: .301, RBI: 114, HR: 33
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|
<sup>(2)</sup>
|Baltimore Orioles
|AL
|SS
|BA: .323, RBI: 114, HR: 34
|
|-
|
|
|San Diego Padres
|NL
|OF
|BA: .330*, RBI: 100, HR: 33
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Chicago White Sox
|AL
|1B
|BA: .317, RBI: 128, HR: 41
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Houston Astros
|NL
|1B
|BA: .368, RBI: 116*, HR: 39, Runs: 104*
|
|-
|
|
|Cleveland Indians
|AL
|OF
|BA: .317, RBI: 126*, HR: 50*, Runs: 121*
|
|-
|
|<sup>(1)</sup>
|Seattle Mariners
|AL
|SS
|BA: .358*, RBI: 123, HR: 36, Runs: 141*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|<sup></sup>
|Seattle Mariners
|AL
|OF
|BA: .304, RBI: 147*, HR: 56*, Runs: 125
|
|-
|
|
|Chicago Cubs
|NL
|OF
|BA: .308, RBI: 158*, HR: 66, Runs: 134*
|
|-
|
|
|Texas Rangers
|AL
|1B
|BA: .324, RBI: 148, HR: 47
|
|-
|
|
|Toronto Blue Jays
|AL
|1B
|BA: .344, RBI: 137, HR: 41, Runs: 115
|
|-
|
|<sup>(2)</sup>
|San Francisco Giants
|NL
|OF
|BA: .328, RBI: 137, HR: 73*, Runs: 129,<BR>BB: 177*, Single Season Home Run Record
|
|-
|
|<sup>(3)</sup>
|San Francisco Giants
|NL
|OF
|BA: .362*, RBI: 101, HR: 45, Runs: 129,<BR>BB: 232*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|<sup>(1)</sup>
|Detroit Tigers
|AL
|3B
|BA: .330*, RBI: 139*, HR: 44*, Runs: 109,<BR>AL Triple Crown
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|<sup>(2)</sup>
|Detroit Tigers
|AL
|3B
|BA: .348*, RBI: 137, HR: 44, Runs: 103
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|
|Toronto Blue Jays
|AL
|3B
|BA: .297, RBI: 123*, HR: 41, Runs: 108
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|<sup>(1)</sup>
|Houston Astros
|AL
|2B
|BA: .338*, RBI: 96, HR: 24, Runs: 108
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|<sup>(2)</sup>
|Houston Astros
|AL
|2B
|BA: .346*, RBI: 81, HR: 24, Runs: 112
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|
|Boston Red Sox
|AL
|OF
|BA: .346*, RBI: 80, HR: 32, Runs: 129*, SLG:.640
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|
|Los Angeles Angels
|AL
|OF
|BA: .291, RBI: 104, HR: 45, Runs: 110, SLG:.645*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|
|Chicago White Sox
|AL
|1B
|BA: .317, RBI: 60*, HR: 19, Runs: 43, SLG: .617*, Hits: 76*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|<sup>(1)</sup>
|Los Angeles Angels
|AL
|P / DH
|W-L: 9-2, ERA: 3.18, K: 156 <br> BA: .257, RBI: 100, HR: 46, Runs: 103, SLG: .592, SB: 26
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|
|New York Yankees
|AL
|OF / DH
|BA: .311, Runs: 133*, HR: 62*, RBI: 131*, BB: 111*, OBP: .425*, SLG: .686*, OPS: 1.111*, TB: 391*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|
|Atlanta Braves
|NL
|OF / DH
|BA: .337, OBP: .416*, Runs: 149*, Hits: 217*, HR: 41, RBI: 106, SB: 73*, BB: 80, OBP: .416*, SLG: .596, OPS: 1.012*, TB: 383*
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|<sup>(2)</sup>
|Los Angeles Dodgers
|NL
|DH
|BA: .310, OBP: .390*, RBI: 130*, HR: 54*, Runs: 134*, SLG: .646*, OPS: 1.036*, SB: 59
|
|-
|
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|
|Seattle Mariners
|AL
|C
|BA: .247, OBP: .359, RBI: 125*, HR: 60*, Runs: 110, SLG: .589, OPS: .948, SB: 14
|
|-
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Multiple wins
Players
Several players have won the award more than once. Ted Williams, Joe Morgan, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, and Jose 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, Barry Bonds, and Shohei Ohtani are the only players to win the award while playing with different teams. Alex Rodriguez won the award with the most teams (3). 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.
Winning multiple SN Player of the Year awards has been seen as guaranteed admission to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 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. Active players are not eligible for the Hall of Fame.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Player
! # of Awards
! Years
! Year inducted into HOF
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|Ted Williams <sup></sup>
| style="text-align:center;" |5
| 1941–1942, 1947, 1949, 1957
| style="text-align:center;" |1966
|-
|Barry Bonds
| style="text-align:center;" |3
| 1990, 2001, 2004
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
|Alex Rodriguez
| style="text-align:center;" |3
| 1996, 2002, 2007
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|Albert Pujols
| style="text-align:center;" |3
| 2003, 2008–2009
| style="text-align:center;" |Not Yet Eligible
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|Stan Musial <sup></sup>
| style="text-align:center;" |2
| 1946, 1951
| style="text-align:center;" |1969
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|Sandy Koufax <sup></sup>
| style="text-align:center;" |2
| 1963, 1965
| style="text-align:center;" |1972
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|Joe Morgan <sup></sup>
| style="text-align:center;" |2
| 1975–1976
| style="text-align:center;" |1990
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background-color: #ffffbb"|Cal Ripken Jr. <sup></sup>
| style="text-align:center;" |2
| 1983, 1991
| style="text-align:center;" |2007
|-
|Miguel Cabrera
| style="text-align:center;" |2
| 2012–2013
| style="text-align:center;" |Not Yet Eligible
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|Jose Altuve
| style="text-align:center;" |2
| 2016–2017
| style="text-align:center;" |Active-Not Eligible
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#cfecec;"|Shohei Ohtani
| style="text-align:center;" |2
| 2021, 2024
| style="text-align:center;" |Active-Not Eligible
|-
|}
Outfielders and Pitchers have won the most awards.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Position
! # of Awards
|-
| Outfield
| 30
|-
| Pitcher
| 19
|-
| First Baseman
| 14
|-
| Shortstop
| 9
|-
| Third Baseman
| 8
|-
| Second Baseman
| 6
|-
| Catcher
| 2
|-
| DH
| 1
|}
Player of the Decade
- SN named Willie Mays as the player of the 1960s decade.
- SN named Pete Rose as the player of the 1970s decade.
- SN named Mike Schmidt as the player of the 1980s decade.
- SN named Barry Bonds as the player of the 1990s decade.
- SN named Albert Pujols as the player of the 2000s decade.
- SN named Mike Trout as the player of the 2010s decade.
See also
- Players Choice Awards Player of the Year (in MLB; for all positions) (there are also Outstanding Player and Outstanding Pitcher awards in each league)
- Baseball America Major League Player of the Year (in MLB; for all positions)
- Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award (in MLB; for all positions)
- "Esurance MLB Awards" Best Major Leaguer (MLB award for best player, including all positions) (also Best Hitter and Best Pitcher)
- Baseball Digest Player of the Year (in MLB; for position players) (from 1969 to 1993, included all positions; in 1994, a separate Pitcher of the Year award was added)
- Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (in each league; for all positions)
- Cy Young Award (MLB award for top pitcher in each league)
- The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award (in each league) (discontinued in 1946)
- Baseball awards
- List of MLB awards
- TSN Pitcher of the Year (replaced by Starting Pitcher and Relief Pitcher awards)
- TSN Starting Pitcher of the Year
- TSN Relief Pitcher of the Year
- TSN Rookie of the Year
- SN Reliever of the Year
- TSN Comeback Player of the Year
- TSN Manager of the Year
- TSN Executive of the Year