The Sporting News MLB Player of the Year Award

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. In 1993, the first Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award was given. In 1998, the Major League Baseball Players Association 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

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
	Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
	Player is active
*	Led League

Awardees

Year	Name	Club	League	Pos	Notes	References
		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
		New York Yankees	AL	OF	BA:.381*, RBI: 126, HR: 30
		Cleveland Indians	AL	P	W-L: 27-11, ERA: 2.61, K: 261*, AL Triple Crown
		Boston Red Sox	AL	OF	BA:.406, RBI: 120, HR: 37, Runs: 135, BB: 147
		Boston Red Sox	AL	OF	BA:.356, RBI: 137, HR: 36, Runs: 141, BB: 145*, MLB Triple Crown
		New York Yankees	AL	P	W-L:20-4, ERA:1.64, K:134
		St. Louis Cardinals	NL	SS	BA:.263, RBI: 63, HR: 6
		Detroit Tigers	AL	P	W-L: 25-9, ERA: 1.81, K: 212*, MLB Triple Crown
		St. Louis Cardinals	NL	1B	BA:.365, RBI: 103, HR: 16, Runs: 124
		Boston Red Sox	AL	OF	BA:.343, RBI: 114, HR: 32, Runs: 125, BB: 162*, AL Triple Crown
		Cleveland Indians	AL	SS	BA:.355, RBI: 106, HR: 18
		Boston Red Sox	AL	OF	BA:.343, RBI: 159, HR: 43, Runs: 150, BB: 162
		New York Yankees	AL	SS	BA:.324, RBI: 66, HR: 7
		St. Louis Cardinals	NL	OF	BA:.355*, RBI: 108, HR: 32, Runs: 124
		Philadelphia Phillies	NL	P	W-L: 28*-7, ERA: 2.59, K: 148
		Cleveland Indians	AL	3B	BA:.336, RBI: 145, HR: 43
		New York Giants	NL	OF	BA:.345*, RBI: 110, HR: 41, Runs: 119
		Brooklyn Dodgers	NL	OF	BA:.309, RBI: 136, HR: 42, Runs: 126
		New York Yankees	AL	OF	BA:.353, RBI: 130, HR: 52, Runs: 132, MLB Triple Crown
		Boston Red Sox	AL	OF	BA:.388*, RBI: 87, HR: 38, BB: 119
		New York Yankees	AL	P	W-L: 21*-7, ERA: 2.97, K: 168
		Chicago White Sox	AL	P	W-L: 22*-10, ERA: 3.17, K: 179
		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*, Single Season Home Run Record
		Los Angeles Dodgers	NL	SS	BA:.299, RBI: 48, HR: 6, SB: 104*
		Los Angeles Dodgers	NL	P	W-L: 25-9, ERA: 2.83 K: 232
		Los Angeles Dodgers	NL	P	W-L: 25-5, ERA: 1.88 K: 306*, MLB Triple Crown
		St. Louis Cardinals	NL	3B	BA:.295, RBI: 119*, HR: 24
		Los Angeles Dodgers	NL	P	W-L: 26-8, ERA: 2.04 K: 382*, MLB Triple Crown
		Baltimore Orioles	AL	OF	BA:.316, RBI: 122, HR: 49*, Runs: 122, AL Triple Crown
		Boston Red Sox	AL	OF	BA:.326, RBI: 121, HR: 44, Runs: 112, AL Triple Crown
		Detroit Tigers	AL	P	W-L: 31*-6, ERA: 1.96 K: 280
		San Francisco Giants	NL	1B	BA:.320, RBI: 126, HR: 45
		Cincinnati Reds	NL	C	BA:.293, RBI: 148, HR: 45
		St. Louis Cardinals	NL	3B	BA:.363*, RBI: 137, HR: 24
		Chicago Cubs	NL	OF	BA:.333*, RBI: 122, HR: 37
		Oakland Athletics	AL	OF	BA:.293, RBI: 117, HR: 32, Runs: 99*
		St. Louis Cardinals	NL	OF	BA:.306, RBI: 48, HR: 3, SB: 118*, R: 105
		Cincinnati Reds	NL	2B	BA:.327, RBI: 94, HR: 17, SB: 67, R: 107
		Cincinnati Reds	NL	2B	BA:.320, RBI: 111, HR: 27, SB: 60, R: 113
		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
		Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	1B	BA:.281, RBI: 82, HR: 32
		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*
		Milwaukee Brewers	AL	SS	BA:.331 RBI: 114, HR: 29
		Baltimore Orioles	AL	SS	BA:.318 RBI: 102, HR: 27, Runs: 121*
		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
		Pittsburgh Pirates	NL	OF	BA:.301, RBI: 114, HR: 33
		Baltimore Orioles	AL	SS	BA:.323, RBI: 114, HR: 34
		San Diego Padres	NL	OF	BA:.330*, RBI: 100, HR: 33
		Chicago White Sox	AL	1B	BA:.317, RBI: 128, HR: 41
		Houston Astros	NL	1B	BA:.368, RBI: 116, HR: 39, Runs: 104
		Cleveland Indians	AL	OF	BA:.317, RBI: 126, HR: 50, Runs: 121*
		Seattle Mariners	AL	SS	BA:.358, RBI: 123, HR: 36, Runs: 141
		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
		San Francisco Giants	NL	OF	BA:.328, RBI: 137, HR: 73, Runs: 129, BB: 177, Single Season Home Run Record
		Texas Rangers	AL	SS	BA:.300, RBI: 142, HR: 57, Runs: 125, Gold Glove
		St. Louis Cardinals	NL	1B	BA:.359, RBI: 124, HR: 43, Runs: 137
		San Francisco Giants	NL	OF	BA:.362, RBI: 101, HR: 45, Runs: 129, BB: 232
		Atlanta Braves	NL	OF	BA:.263, RBI: 128, HR: 51, Runs: 95, Gold Glove
		Philadelphia Phillies	NL	1B	BA:.313, RBI: 149, HR: 58, Runs: 104
		New York Yankees	AL	3B	BA:.314, RBI: 156, HR: 54, Runs: 143*
		St. Louis Cardinals	NL	1B	BA:.357, RBI: 116, HR: 37, Runs: 100
		St. Louis Cardinals	NL	1B	BA:.327, RBI: 135, HR: 47*
		Texas Rangers	AL	OF	BA:.359*, RBI: 100, HR: 32
		Detroit Tigers	AL	P	W-L: 24-5, ERA: 2.40, K: 250*, AL Triple Crown
		Detroit Tigers	AL	3B	BA:.330, RBI: 139, HR: 44*, Runs: 109, AL Triple Crown
		Detroit Tigers	AL	3B	BA:.348*, RBI: 137, HR: 44, Runs: 103
		Los Angeles Dodgers	NL	P	W-L: 21-3, ERA: 1.77, K: 239
		Toronto Blue Jays	AL	3B	BA:.297, RBI: 123*, HR: 41, Runs: 108
		Houston Astros	AL	2B	BA:.338*, RBI: 96, HR: 24, Runs: 108
		Houston Astros	AL	2B	BA:.346*, RBI: 81, HR: 24, Runs: 112
		Boston Red Sox	AL	OF	BA:.346, RBI: 80, HR: 32, Runs: 129, SLG:.640
		Los Angeles Angels	AL	OF	BA:.291, RBI: 104, HR: 45, Runs: 110, SLG:.645*
		Chicago White Sox	AL	1B	BA:.317, RBI: 60, HR: 19, Runs: 43, SLG:.617, Hits: 76*
		Los Angeles Angels	AL	P / DH	W-L: 9-2, ERA: 3.18, K: 156 BA:.257, RBI: 100, HR: 46, Runs: 103, SLG:.592, SB: 26
		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
		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*
		Los Angeles Dodgers	NL	DH	BA:.310, OBP:.390, RBI: 130, HR: 54, Runs: 134, SLG:.646, OPS: 1.036, SB: 59
		Seattle Mariners	AL	C	BA:.247, OBP:.359, RBI: 125, HR: 60, Runs: 110, SLG:.589, OPS:.948, SB: 14

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. 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.

Player	# of Awards	Years	Year inducted into HOF
Ted Williams	5	1941–1942, 1947, 1949, 1957	1966
Barry Bonds	3	1990, 2001, 2004	-
Alex Rodriguez	3	1996, 2002, 2007	-
Albert Pujols	3	2003, 2008–2009	Not Yet Eligible
Stan Musial	2	1946, 1951	1969
Sandy Koufax	2	1963, 1965	1972
Joe Morgan	2	1975–1976	1990
Cal Ripken Jr.	2	1983, 1991	2007
Miguel Cabrera	2	2012–2013	Not Yet Eligible
Jose Altuve	2	2016–2017	Active-Not Eligible
Shohei Ohtani	2	2021, 2024	Active-Not Eligible

Outfielders and Pitchers have won the most awards.

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 1970's decade.
SN named Mike Schmidt as the player of the 1980's decade.
SN named Barry Bonds as the player of the 1990's decade.
SN named Albert Pujols as the player of the 2000's decade.
SN named Mike Trout as the player of the 2010s decade.