Major League Baseball has something no other big league in the US has: two MVPs per year, one per league. However, with 40 players per team, there’s always someone that’s going to be snubbed of the opportunity of winning the award.
So, either because another player outperformed them because their team didn’t win as many games as they should’ve or even because of the position they play, some studs haven’t won the award yet.
Luckily for most of them, there’s still plenty of time left on their careers to prove their worth and bring some silverware home, and today we’re going to let you know about the 25 MLB stars that haven’t won an MVP:
25. Zack Greinke
Zack Greinke is already 35, so perhaps the window is closing on him. However, he has the unique opportunity to turn around the Houston Astros after their sign-stealing scandal and lead them - fairly - back to the top of the American League.
Greinke has made it to 6 All-Stars, won 2 ERA titles, 1 Cy Young, 6 Gold Gloves, and a couple of Silver Sluggers, and should’ve been in the MVP conversation back in 2015 when he had a WAR of 9.5, 1.66 ERA, a 19-3 record and 200 strikeouts.
24. Max Scherzer
Max Scherzer has been having MVP-caliber seasons for years. However, it’s not easy to see a pitcher taking this award home, regardless of how dominant and productive he’s been throughout his 12-year career.
Thus far, Scherzer is a 3-time Cy Young winner, 7-time All-Star, and most recently World Series champion. He also ha 4 seasons of 250+ strikeouts and a WHIP of under 1.00, so he has definitely been snubbed a couple of times.
23. Al Kaline
A legend of the Detroit Tigers, "Mr. Tiger" came close to winning the award but fell short both times. Al Kaline finished second in the vote in 1955 and in 1963, with Yankees players getting the upper hand on both occasions.
Kaline had it difficult in an era where the Bronx Bombers used to take home all the accolades, and not even his consistency to hit double-digit home runs for 19 straight seasons saw him win an MVP.
22. Alex Bregman
Alex Bregman’s career got off to a terrific start and he looked poised for stardom. However, the Astros’ cheating scandal may have closed the door on him to ever be even considered to win the MVP award, even despite the hundreds of similar situations the league has seen over the years.
Still, the 26-year-old has outstanding contact and strength, as well as being quite a solid defender as both shortstop and third baseman. Thus far, he’s made it to 2 All-Stars and has won 1 Silver Slugger award.
21. Xander Bogaerts
Xander Bogaerts worked his heart off to win the Boston Red Sox’s starting job back in 2014 and hasn’t looked back ever since. However, he’s been often overlooked and shadowed by other stars in the franchise.
So, now that Mookie Betts is finally gone, the Red Sox are Bogaert’s team and he better live up to the expectations that come with that. He’s made it to a couple of All-Star Games, won 2 World Series, and is a 3-time Silver Slugger.
20. Eddie Mathews
Eddie Mathews also finished his career without winning a single MVP award. But he did challenge for the accolade more than once. The closest he got came in 1953, and it's safe to say his team's result had something to do in his second place in the voting.
Mathews led the league with 47 home runs, but the Milwaukee Braves finished behind the Brooklyn Dodgers and Roy Campanella had the upper hand over Mathews. He also lost to Ernie Banks of the Cubs in 1959 despite recording 46 homers. Well, at least he made the Hall of Fame.
19. Carlos Correa
Just like Bregman, the Astros’ scandal may take a toll on Carlos Correa’s reputation forever. Still, he’s just too good to snub him out of this list as he has all the tools to win multiple MVPs one day.
The former Rookie of the Year quickly became a cornerstone of the Astros’ project thanks to his outstanding defense, quick reactions, strong arm and ability to make contact. He’s one of the most talented shortstops we’ve seen in decades.
18. JT Realmuto
It’s pretty unusual to see a catcher win the MVP. However, JT Realmuto isn’t your average catcher. He’s also one of the main reasons why Bryce Harper decided to take his talents to the Philadelphia Phillies, so that tells you just how good he is as a defender.
Realmuto is a solid defender with a powerful swing that can also play as the first baseman. He rarely strikes out thanks to his high intelligence and eye-hand coordination and is quickly rising as one of the league’s stars, making it to back-to-back All-Stars with 1 Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
17. Marcus Semien
If you’re talking about some of the league’s most promising players, you’re not likely to mention Marcus Semien’s name, but that’s just because he’s yet to play for a big market kind of team that could really use his talents.
Semien can play all over the diamond thanks to his prolific defense but he’s also turning into a deadly batter as well. He finished 3rd in the MVP voting last year after hitting 33 HRs with an average of .285, 92 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases.
16. Manny Machado
We all know what Manny Machado’s capable of every time he steps on the plate. He’s as strong as they come and even the most dominant pitchers on earth are wary about throwing breaking balls at him.
However, his troublemaking personality and determination to prove he’s one of the best in the world, as well as some dirty plays; have granted him a lot of enemies around the league. Thus far, he’s made it to 4 All-Stars, with 1 Platinum Glove and 2 Gold Gloves.
15. Anthony Rizzo
Anthony Rizzo was one of the main reasons why the Chicago Cubs were able to finally put an end to their historically long title-drought. His contact, power, and defense helped them carry the load and rally all the way to the title in 2016.
Rizzo, however, doesn’t get the praise and respect he deserves around the league. He’s coming off a .293/.520/.924 season with 27 HRs, and 94 RBIs and is a 3-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and Platinum Glove winner.
14. Trevor Story
After several struggles during his sophomore season, Trevor Story bounced back in a big way over the last couple of years, improving his batting average while not striking out as often as earlier on his career.
Story’s a disruptive batter that can hit the ball everywhere on the park. Also, he’s got one of the best arms in baseball. Thus far, he’s a 2-time All-Star and 2-time Silver Slugger but the best is yet to come for him.
13. José Ramírez
José Ramírez is the kind of player every coach in the world would kill and die for. He can play literally everywhere on the diamond, doesn’t make many mistakes, and is also quite a solid and timely hitter.
Ramírez has a lot of power on his swing and is an ambidextrous batter. He’s made it to a couple of All-Star Games and won 2 Silver Slugger awards and can do all the little things to help his team win.
12. Rafael Devers
The Boston Red Sox are coming off a terrible season with a lot of ups and downs but Rafael Devers was one of the lone bright spots for them. He was consistent, efficient, and had MVP-caliber numbers.
Devers posted a .311 batting average, led the league in doubles and total bases, and had 115 RBIs with 32 HRs, and 8 stolen bases. He’s just 23 years old and playing for one of the biggest markets in the world, so he could definitely win the MVP pretty soon.
11. Nolan Arenado
There was a lot of buzz surrounding Nolan Arenado entering the season as it looked like his time with the Colorado Rockies was soon to come to an end. Truth to be told, he’s already outgrown the team and would be better off with a contender.
Arenado is one of the league’s best two-way players. He’s a top-tier defender and hitter coming off an outstanding season with 41 HRs, 118 RBIs, and a batting average of .315. Also, he’s made it to 5 All-Stars, won 7 Gold Gloves, 4 Silver Sluggers, and 3 Platinum Gloves.
10. Gleyber Torres
Gleyber Torres became one of the most important players for the New York Yankees on an injury-plagued season thanks to his power and ability to make contact and he looks like a huge bargain for the Bronx Bombers right now.
Torres has all the offensive tools to be one of the Yankee’s greats once it’s all said and done. However, he’s got a lot of room for improvement as a defender and base runner. Thus far, he’s a 2-time All-Star with a bright future ahead of him.
9. Gerrit Cole
Gerrit Cole was snubbed of the Cy Young last season. He was the best pitcher in baseball and is now set to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing for the New York Yankees so he’ll be extra motivated, for sure.
Cole is a 3-time All-Star who won the ERA title once already. He’s coming off a 20-win season with 326 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.895 and how that he’ll be on the spotlight at Yankee Stadium he might as well end up winning the MVP.
8. Mel Ott
How did Mel Ott never won a single MVP award remains one of the biggest mysteries in baseball history. A fascinating player who led the league in homers on six occasions, voters always found a reason to overlook him.
As a matter of fact, Ott never even finished second in voting. Which makes it even more strange. Unfortunately, there were other great players during his prime who also happened to post incredible numbers. Fortunately, he had other recognitions such as making the Hall of Fame and having his No. 4 retired by the Giants.
7. Francisco Lindor
Francisco Lindor was linked with a move out of the Cleveland Indians earlier in the year but they did the right thing and held on to their superstar in the making. He’s already dominated the league at the tender age of 26 and just keeps getting better and better.
Lindor has a terrific feel for the game as a defender and can also bat like the best of them. He’s already a 4-time All-Star, 2-time Gold Glove, 2-time Silver Slugger, and Platinum Glove winner. The only personal accolade missing? An MVP.
6. Juan Soto
Juan Soto came pretty much out of the blue but quickly rose in the rankings thanks to his undeniable impact on the World Champions Washington Nationals. His clutch batting was a huge reason why they pulled that historical upset off.
Soto’s big mouth has earned him a couple of detractors in the league already but that confidence is what makes him so great. Well, that, and his powerful swing and terrific defense. He’s coming off a 34 HR season with .282/.401/.949 and 110 RBIs.
5. Ronald Acuña Jr
Ronald Acuña Jr has all the tools to be the league’s best player one day. Hell, he’s the only player in the world that could post a 40-40 season as he proved by his 41 HRs and 37 stolen bases last year. He's drawn a lot of comparisons with legends like Roberto Clemente.
Acuña is a deadly hitter with an incredibly quick first step and athletic gifts. He can take off in the blink of an eye and turn a single into an extra-base with ease. So far, he’s a 1-time All-Star, Silver Slugger, and Rookie of the Year.
4. Javier Báez
Javier Báez has been a fan favorite since entering the league and for good reason. Watching him is fun as hell and he’s one of those few players you could always trust to make a play, either in defense or on the plate.
Báez has posted MVP-caliber seasons since entering the league but needs to strike out less to be among the league’s finest hitters. Thus far, he’s an NLCS MVP, 2-time All-Star, Silver Slugger, and World Series winner.
3. Anthony Rendon
Anthony Rendon had a pretty strong case for MVP last year after the Washington Nationals went from being one of the league’s worst teams to pulling off a historical run to end up as the World Series champions.
Rendon was the leader of the team on and off the court and posted a batting average of .319 with 34 HRs, 126 RBIs, and logged a fielding percentage of 96.9% so he literally did it all for his team.
2.Jacob deGrom
Jacob deGrom is the best pitcher in the world and it’s not even close. He’s suffered a lot due to the lack of offensive support every time he sets a foot on the mound, but he shouldn’t be punished by his teammate’s poor efforts.
We’re talking about a guy that averages 10.3 strikeouts per 9 IP with a WHIP of 1.053 over his career, a two-time CY Young winner, ERA title winner, Rookie of the Year, and 3-times All-Star.
1. Derek Jeter
How come the face of one of the most popular franchises in American sports has never won the most prestigious individual accolade? Derek Jeter was a multiple World Series champion with the Yankees, but neither the fame nor the success were enough to see him win MVP.
While he was named the best player of the 2000 World Series, Jeter never got enough votes to be named league MVP. He got close on four seasons but the highest he finished in the vote was second (2006).
