The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. The award has been presented by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) since 1931.
Henry Louis Aaron, nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. Considered one of the greatest baseball players in history, he spent 21 seasons with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves in the National League (NL) and two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League (AL). At the time of his retirement, Aaron held most of the game's key career power-hitting records. He broke the long-standing MLB record for career home runs held by Babe Ruth and remained the career leader for 33 years, until Barry Bonds surpassed his famous total of 755 in 2007. He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973 and is one of only two players to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least fifteen times.
A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored. For example, if the batter bats a base hit which allows a teammate on a higher base to reach home and so score a run, then the batter gets credited with an RBI.
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the 40–40 club is the group of batters, currently six, who have collected 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season. Few professional baseball players have possessed both the power and speed to reach this level, and no players have done so more than once. The six players with a 40–40 season are Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is the only player to achieve a 50–50 season, having done so in 2024.
José Miguel Cabrera Torres, nicknamed "Miggy", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers. Debuting in 2003, he was a two-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winner, a four-time AL batting champion, and a 12-time MLB All-Star. Although he primarily played in left and right field before 2006, he spent the majority of his major league career at first and third base. He claimed the 17th MLB Triple Crown in 2012, the first to do so in 45 seasons. Cabrera is one of three players in MLB history to have a career batting average above .300, 500 home runs, and 3,000 hits, joining Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. Cabrera is regarded as one of the greatest hitters of all time.
Manuel Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a Dominican-American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of 19 seasons. He played with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays before playing one season at the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan. Ramirez is recognized for having great batting skill and power. He was a nine-time Silver Slugger and was one of 28 players to hit 500 career home runs. His 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 29 postseason home runs are the most in MLB history. He appeared in 12 All-Star Games, with a streak of eleven consecutive games beginning in 1998 that included every season that he played with the Red Sox.
The Edgar Martínez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, commonly referred to as the Edgar Martínez Award and originally known as the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, has been presented annually to the most outstanding designated hitter (DH) in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1973. The award is voted on by club beat reporters, broadcasters, and public relations departments. The Associated Press discontinued the award in 2000, but it was picked up by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, which has administered it since. All players with a minimum of 100 at bats at DH are eligible. From the award's inception in 1973 until 2019, and in 2021, use of the designated hitter was allowed only in the American League (AL).
Paul Edward Goldschmidt, nicknamed "Goldy", is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals. He has also represented the United States in international competition.
Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter (DH) for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Shotime", he has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. Because of his elite contributions as a hitter and as a pitcher, a rarity as a two-way player, Ohtani's prime seasons have been considered among the greatest in baseball history, with some comparing them favorably to the early career of Babe Ruth.
Aaron James Judge is an American professional baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). A six-time MLB All-Star and two-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) winner, Judge set the AL record for most home runs in a season with 62, breaking the 61-year-old record held by Roger Maris. He stands 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) tall and weighs 282 pounds (128 kg), making him one of the tallest and largest players in MLB.
Marcus Andrew Semien is an American professional baseball shortstop and second baseman for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays. Semien was an All-Star in 2021 with the Blue Jays, when he also won the Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger Award. Semien signed a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Rangers following the 2021 season and won the World Series with the team in 2023.
Rafael Devers Calcaño is a Dominican professional baseball third baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2017. Devers won the 2018 World Series in his first full season with the Red Sox. He has also won the Silver Slugger Award in 2021 and 2023 and was an All-Star in 2021, 2022, and 2024.
Vladimir Guerrero Ramos Jr. is a Canadian-Dominican professional baseball first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his major league debut in April 2019, and he bats and throws right-handed. He is the son of Baseball Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero.
Ronald José Acuña Blanco Jr. is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). After signing with the Braves as an international free agent in 2014, Acuña made his MLB debut in 2018, and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
In sports that require a player to play on offense and defense, a two-way player refers to a player who excels at both. In sports where a player typically specializes on offense or defense, or on pitching or batting, it refers to a player who chooses to do both.
Luis Sangel Arráez is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins. Arráez represents the Venezuelan national team in international competitions. He is nicknamed "La Regadera".
The 2021 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 12, 2021, at Coors Field in Denver, CO, the site of the 2021 MLB All-Star Game.
The 2022 Los Angeles Angels season was the 62nd season of the Los Angeles Angels franchise in the American League, the 57th in Anaheim, and their 57th season playing their home games at Angel Stadium. The Angels were managed by Joe Maddon in his third season as manager of the Angels. On June 7, 2022, Maddon was fired and Phil Nevin was named the interim manager for the remainder of the season after they had lost twelve games in a row, tying a record set by the 1988 team. Losses on the 7th and 8th resulted in a losing streak of fourteen in a row, setting a franchise record. After a brawl occurred during a game between the Seattle Mariners and Angels on June 26 that saw players and coaches receive suspensions, Bill Haselman and Ray Montgomery each served as interim managers to the interim manager when Nevin received a ten-game suspension. The Angels play as members of Major League Baseball's American League West division. On September 14, the Angels lost their 82nd game to clinch a losing season for the seventh straight season, tying the mark set by the 1971-1977 teams. With their loss to the Seattle Mariners on September 19, the Los Angeles Angels were officially eliminated from playoff contention.
