All-time World Series MVP team

The World Series MVP can come from anywhere on a team’s roster. He can be a household name or a relatively unknown name, a dominant reliever or an All-Star hitter, a standout rookie or a veteran utility man.

For some players, the Fall Classic spotlight only seems to enhance their already strong skills. For others, it seems to take their game to an unprecedented level. Every position on the field has been represented at least once since the award was first presented in 1955. All winners were worthy, but some performances drew particular attention.

Here is our All-World Series MVP team.

C: Johnny Bench (Red), 1976
Bench was just as good in the postseason as he was in the rest of his Hall of Fame career. In 10 postseason series from 1970 to 1979, Bench hit 10 home runs and had an OPS of .862. But his MVP performance in the 1976 World Series was the clear standout. In the Reds’ four-game win over the Yankees, Bench hit .533 with two home runs, a double and a triple for an OPS of 1.667 in 15 plate appearances. The two home runs both came in the decisive Game 4, when Bench drove in five runs and Cincinnati won the title.

1B: Willie Stargell (Pirates), 1979
Stargell was the heart and soul of the “We Are Family” Pirates, so it was only fitting that the team used his bat to overcome a 3-1 series deficit against the Orioles. After also winning the MVP award in the NLCS, Stargell continued his success in the World Series, posting a .400 batting average with three home runs, four doubles and seven RBIs. Stargell’s go-ahead, two-run home run in the sixth inning of Game 7 secured Pittsburgh the championship.

2B: Bobby Richardson (Yankees), 1960
Richardson’s performance in the 1960 World Series was so strong that he was named MVP despite being on the losing team – the only time that happened in Fall Classic history. In the seven-game series between the Yankees and Pirates, the second baseman posted a .367 batting average with 11 hits, including a homer, two doubles, two triples and 12 RBIs, which led both teams.

3B: Brooks Robinson (Orioles), 1970
Robinson did enough with his bat to earn MVP honors in the 1970 World Series, but his performance with the glove topped it all. In addition to hitting .429 with two home runs and a 1.238 OPS to lead the Orioles to the title over the Reds in five games, Robinson displayed defensive excellence throughout the series, holding Reds hitters with the elite defense he was known for , away from the base. “He caught anything but a cold,” Cincinnati native Pete Rose said afterward.

SS: Corey Seager (Dodgers, Rangers), 2020, 2023
Seager is one of four players to win more than one World Series MVP and one of only two to win the award with multiple teams. His big performance for the Dodgers in the 2020 World Series against the Rays came just days after his MVP performance in the NLCS, when he hit an incredible .897 against the Braves. Then in the World Series, Seager hit .400 with two home runs and a 1.256 OPS in six games. In 2023, he again earned World Series MVP honors with the Rangers after hitting three home runs and driving in six runs in five games as Texas defeated the D-Backs in five games.

OV: George Springer (Astros), 2017
Choosing Springer as the 2017 World Series MVP was an easy decision. The Astros centerfielder set the all-time record with five home runs in the Series, including three on the road at Dodger Stadium, as Houston won its first title in franchise history. Overall, he hit .379 with 11 hits in seven games with a 1.471 OPS and a series-best seven RBIs. Springer recorded multiple hits in four of the seven games, including a 3-for-5 performance in Game 2.

OF: Reggie Jackson (A’s, Yankees), 1973, 1977
Jackson is one of the few to have won multiple World Series MVP awards, and besides Seager, he is the only other player to win this award with more than one team. While Jackson’s postseason exploits were well known by the mid-’70s (he had a .941 OPS in the 1973 World Series and won the MVP), it wasn’t until 1977 that he truly earned the nickname “Mr. October”. Jackson became the first player in MLB history to hit five homers in a single World Series, highlighted by his three homers on three consecutive at-bats in the deciding Game 6, as the Yankees defeated the Dodgers and won the title. Jackson hit .450 in the series, with a series-best eight RBIs and a 1.792 OPS.

OV: Roberto Clemente (Pirates), 1971
Clemente was the clear standout of the 1971 World Series between the Pirates and Orioles, and he had no real competition for MVP. He led all starters in average (.414), hits (12), on-base percentage (.452), slugging (.759) and total bases (22). He also hit two home runs, tied for the most in the series, including a crucial long ball in Game 7 as Pittsburgh beat Baltimore for the championship.

DH: David Ortiz (Red Sox), 2013
Big Papi’s numbers for the 2013 World Series are nothing short of astounding. In the six-game series in which the Red Sox defeated the Cardinals to win their third title in ten seasons, Ortiz hit .688 with 11 hits in 25 plate appearances, including two home runs, two doubles and a series-best six RBIs . He also had eight walks in the series, bringing his on-base percentage to a hefty .760. Overall, the OPS was 1.948, the second-highest World Series OPS ever for a player with at least 20 plate appearances.

RHSP: Bob Gibson (Cardinals), 1964, 1967
Gibson is one of four players to win multiple World Series MVP awards, so it stands to reason that you’ll want him on the mound for your All-World Series MVP team. But it is his performance at the 1967 Fall Classic that deserves special attention. Gibson went 3-0 in the series with three complete games, including a shutout, and a 1.00 ERA in those 27 innings as the Cardinals defeated the Red Sox in seven games. He even hit a home run in Game 7.

LHSP: Sandy Koufax (Dodgers), 1963, 1965
Koufax is the last player on this list to win two World Series MVP awards, and he certainly earned them. While the left-hander’s performance in 1963 was certainly impressive (2-0, 1.50 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 18 innings), his performance in 1965 took it up a notch. Koufax went 2-1 with TWO shutouts – including one in Game 7 on two days of rest – and had a 0.38 ERA for the series. He also fanned 29 batters in 24 innings, including 10 punchouts in Game 7 when the Dodgers defeated the Twins to win it all.

RHRP: Mariano Rivera (Yankees), 1999
Only three primary relievers have won a World Series MVP. But if one of them also happens to be the greatest saver in MLB history, they’ll get the nod to our hypothetical team. Rivera’s performance in the 1999 World Series against the Braves was pretty boring by his standards. But it was also prime Rivera. He finished three games, pitched 4 2/3 innings and recorded a win and two saves without allowing a run as the Yankees defeated Atlanta and closed the ’90s – and ’00s – with their 25th championship.

LHRP: Madison Bumgarner (Giants), 2014
We admit that we are taking some liberty here. Although Bumgarner was never a primary reliever, none of the relievers who won a World Series MVP are left-handed. But Bumgarner’s postseason pedigree is undeniable, thanks in large part to the five scoreless innings he threw in relief to save Game 7 of the 2014 World Series against the Royals. This came after Bumgarner made two starts in the series for the Giants and earned two wins. Overall, his series ERA was just 0.43. This is lockdown stuff, no matter the role.

On the bench: Derek Jeter (2000), Alan Trammell (1984), Manny Ramirez (2004)
In the bullpen: Randy Johnson (2001), Orel Hershiser (1988), Rollie Fingers (1974)