Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award | Baseball Almanac
The last season when two All-Star Games were played during the same season was in 1962. This was also the first year a committee of writers and executives, in attendance, voted for the All-Star Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award.
The All-Star Game MVP was originally called the Arch Ward Memorial Award in honor of sportswriter Arch Ward, who is credited with the idea of having this middle of the season classic event. In 1970 the award was renamed The Commissioner's Trophy, and fourteen years later it resumed its original title. In 2002, the only year where no player won the award, it was renamed the Ted Williams Award in honor of the deceased slugger.
What follows is a complete list of the recipients, leagues, teams, and position they were playing when each All-Star most valuable player was honored at the Midsummer Classic. NOTE: The year column links to the actual All-Star Game, the player names link to the player's career stats, the team name links to the franchise home page, and quantity data is displayed in columns, where applicable. Research by Baseball Almanac.
"They throw the ball, I hit it; they hit the ball, I catch it." - Hall of Famer (1963 / 1968 All-Star Most Valuable Player Award Recipient) Willie Mays
Juan Marichal was the first pitcher to win the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award. 2002 was the first & only year where nobody won (game ended in a tie). Bill Madlock and Jon Matlack are the first & only players to share the award. Use this chart to create and answer countless other trivia based questions.
Did you know that since the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award started in 1962, American League All-Stars have won it thirty-three times and National League All-Stars have won it twenty-eight times?
Did you know that La Marr Hoyt (1985 All-Star Game), Bo Jackson (1989 All-Star Game), J.D. Drew (2008 All-Star Game), Melky Cabrera (2012 All-Star Game), Eric Hosmer (2016 All-Star Game) and Shane Bieber (2019 All-Star Game) are the only All-Stars who won an All-Star Game MVP Award, but never appeared in a Midsummer Classic BEFORE or AFTER the year in which they won?
Did you know that Brooks Robinson (1966 All-Star Game) and Carl Yastrzemski (1970 All-Star Game) are the only two All-Stars who won the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, yet each played on the losing team?
Did you know that Ken Griffey (1980 All-Star Game) and Ken Griffey, Jr. (1992 All-Star Game) were the first, and through today (April 8, 2024) the only, father & son All-Stars to each win an All-Star Game MVP Award?
Did you know that Sandy Alomar, Jr. (1997 All-Star Game) and Roberto Alomar (1998 All-Star Game) were the first, and through today (April 8, 2024) the only, All-Star brothers to each win an All-Star Game MVP Award, and did so in back-to-back Midsummer Classics?
Willie Mays was the first player to win the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award more than once, and is one of only five players who have won it twice. The others are Gary Carter, Steve Garvey, Cal Ripken, Jr., and Mike Trout.
