International League Most Valuable Player Award

The International League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual award given to the best player in Minor League Baseball's International League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. Broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, members of the media, coaches, and other representatives from the league's clubs have previously voted as well. Though the circuit was founded in 1884, it did not become known as the International League on a consistent basis until 1912.

The first Most Valuable Player Award was not issued until 1932. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the league was known as the Triple-A East in 2021 before reverting to the International League name in 2022.

Thirty-one outfielders have won the MVP Award, the most of any position. First basemen, with 28 winners, have won the most among infielders, followed by third basemen (14), shortstops (10), and second basemen (5). Five catchers and four pitchers have won the award.

Seventeen players who have won the MVP Award also won the International League Top MLB Prospect Award (formerly the Rookie of the Year Award) in the same season: Don Buford (1963), Joe Foy (1965), Mike Epstein (1966), Merv Rettenmund (1968), Luis Alvarado (1969), Roger Freed (1970), Jim Rice (1974), Mike Vail (1975), Rich Dauer (1976), Scott Bradley (1984), Dan Pasqua (1985), Randy Milligan (1987), J. T. Snow (1992), Chris Colabello (2013), Steven Souza Jr. (2014), Rhys Hoskins (2017), and Joey Meneses (2018). From 1932 to 1952, pitchers were eligible to win the MVP Award as no award was designated for pitchers. In 1953, the International League established a Pitcher of the Year Award (formerly the Most Valuable Pitcher Award). Two players have won the MVP Award on multiple occasions. Rocky Nelson, who was the MVP for 1953, 1955, and 1958, has the most wins. Roberto Petagine won back-to-back in 1997 and 1998.

Twelve players from the Rochester Red Wings have been selected for the MVP Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Columbus Clippers (10); the original Buffalo Bisons and Norfolk Tides (8); the Pawtucket Red Sox and Toronto Maple Leafs (7); the Durham Bulls and Syracuse Mets (6); the Baltimore Orioles, Montreal Royals, and Toledo Mud Hens (5); the Newark Bears and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (3); the Buffalo Bisons, Indianapolis Indians, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Louisville Colonels, and Richmond Braves (2); and the Charlotte Knights, Columbus Jets, Louisville Bats, and Memphis Redbirds (1).

Fourteen players from the New York Yankees Major League Baseball (MLB) organization have won the award, more than any other, followed by the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Guardians organizations (10); the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays organizations (6); the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinalsorganizations (5); the Toronto Blue Jays organization (3); the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins organizations (2); and the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Washington Nationals organizations (1). Eight award winners played for teams that were not affiliated with any MLB organization.

Winners

+KeyPositionIndicates the player's primary positionNumber of wins by players who won the award multiple times^Indicates multiple award winners in the same year +WinnersYearWinnerTeamOrganizationPosition 1932Toronto Maple LeafsNewark BearsDetroit Tigers<br/ >New York YankeesThird baseman1933Newark BearsNew York YankeesShortstop1934Toronto Maple LeafsCincinnati RedsOutfielder1935Baltimore Orioles—Outfielder1936Buffalo Bisons—Outfielder1937Buffalo BisonsBaltimore Orioles——Catcher1938Buffalo Bisons—Outfielder1939Newark BearsNew York YankeesShortstop1940Rochester Red WingsSt. Louis CardinalsPitcher1941Buffalo BisonsDetroit TigersPitcher1942Syracuse ChiefsCincinnati RedsPitcher1943Rochester Red WingsSt. Louis CardinalsShortstop1944Baltimore OriolesCleveland IndiansOutfielder1945Baltimore OriolesCleveland IndiansCatcher1946Baltimore OriolesCleveland IndiansFirst baseman1947Syracuse ChiefsCincinnati RedsOutfielder1948Montreal RoyalsBrooklyn DodgersSecond baseman1949Montreal RoyalsBrooklyn DodgersShortstop1950Rochester Red WingsSt. Louis CardinalsPitcher1951Buffalo Bisons—Outfielder1952Montreal RoyalsBrooklyn DodgersSecond baseman1953 Montreal RoyalsBrooklyn DodgersFirst baseman1954Toronto Maple Leafs—Catcher1955 Montreal RoyalsBrooklyn DodgersFirst baseman1956Toronto Maple Leafs—Second baseman1957Buffalo BisonsKansas City AthleticsShortstop1958 Toronto Maple Leafs—First baseman1959Buffalo BisonsPhiladelphia PhilliesFirst baseman1960Toronto Maple LeafsCleveland IndiansOutfielder1961Buffalo BisonsPhiladelphia PhilliesOutfielder1962Jacksonville SunsCleveland IndiansShortstop1963Indianapolis IndiansChicago White SoxThird baseman1964Jacksonville SunsSt. Louis CardinalsThird baseman1965Toronto Maple LeafsBoston Red SoxThird baseman1966Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesFirst baseman1967Richmond BravesAtlanta BravesOutfielder1968Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesOutfielder1969Louisville ColonelsBoston Red SoxShortstop1970^Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesOutfielderColumbus JetsPittsburgh PiratesFirst baseman1971Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesShortstop1972Louisville ColonelsBoston Red SoxOutfielder1973Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesOutfielder1974Pawtucket Red SoxBoston Red SoxOutfielder1975Tidewater TidesNew York MetsOutfielder1976^Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesSecond basemanSyracuse ChiefsNew York YankeesShortstopToledo Mud HensCleveland IndiansFirst baseman1977Pawtucket Red SoxBoston Red SoxThird baseman1978Pawtucket Red SoxBoston Red SoxCatcher1979^Columbus ClippersNew York YankeesOutfielderPawtucket Red SoxBoston Red SoxFirst baseman1980Columbus ClippersNew York YankeesFirst baseman1981Richmond BravesAtlanta BravesOutfielder1982Columbus ClippersNew York YankeesThird baseman1983Toledo Mud HensMinnesota TwinsSecond baseman1984Columbus ClippersNew York YankeesCatcher1985Columbus ClippersNew York YankeesOutfielder1986Pawtucket Red SoxBoston Red SoxFirst baseman1987Tidewater TidesNew York MetsFirst baseman1988Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesThird baseman1989Tidewater TidesNew York MetsThird baseman1990Columbus ClippersNew York YankeesOutfielder1991Syracuse ChiefsToronto Blue JaysOutfielder1992Columbus ClippersNew York YankeesFirst baseman1993Charlotte KnightsCleveland IndiansThird baseman1994Norfolk TidesRochester Red WingsNew York MetsBaltimore OriolesThird baseman1995Norfolk TidesNew York MetsThird baseman1996Toledo Mud HensDetroit TigersThird baseman1997 Norfolk TidesNew York MetsFirst baseman1998 Indianapolis IndiansCincinnati RedsFirst baseman1999Durham BullsTampa Bay Devil RaysFirst baseman2000Syracuse SkyChiefsToronto Blue JaysOutfielder2001Durham BullsTampa Bay Devil RaysCatcher2002Louisville BatsCincinnati RedsOutfielder2003Columbus ClippersNew York YankeesFirst baseman2004Buffalo BisonsCleveland IndiansShortstop2005Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red BaronsPhiladelphia PhilliesOutfielder2006Durham BullsTampa Bay Devil RaysFirst baseman2007Toledo Mud HensDetroit TigersThird baseman2008Pawtucket Red SoxBoston Red SoxFirst baseman2009Scranton/Wilkes-Barre YankeesNew York YankeesOutfielder2010Durham BullsTampa Bay RaysThird baseman2011Durham BullsTampa Bay RaysOutfielder2012Pawtucket Red SoxBoston Red SoxFirst baseman2013Rochester Red WingsMinnesota TwinsFirst baseman2014Syracuse ChiefsWashington NationalsOutfielder2015Buffalo BisonsToronto Blue JaysFirst baseman2016Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRidersNew York YankeesOutfielder2017Lehigh Valley IronPigsPhiladelphia PhilliesFirst baseman2018Lehigh Valley IronPigsPhiladelphia PhilliesFirst baseman2019Norfolk TidesBaltimore OriolesFirst baseman2020 2021Toledo Mud HensDetroit TigersFirst baseman2022Durham BullsTampa Bay RaysFirst baseman2023Memphis RedbirdsSt. Louis CardinalsFirst baseman2024Columbus ClippersCleveland GuardiansOutfielder2025Norfolk TidesBaltimore OriolesOutfielder2026Columbus ClippersCleveland GuardiansOutfielder

Wins by team

Active International League teams appear in bold.

Team Award(s) Year(s)Rochester Red Wings121940, 1943, 1950, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1988, 1994, 2013Columbus Clippers101979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1992, 2003, 2024, 2026Buffalo Bisons (1886–1970)81936, 1937, 1938, 1941, 1951, 1957, 1959, 1961Norfolk Tides (Tidewater Tides)1975, 1987, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2019, 2025Pawtucket Red Sox71974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986, 2008, 2012Toronto Maple Leafs1932, 1934, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1965Durham Bulls61999, 2001, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2022Syracuse Mets (Syracuse Chiefs/Sky Chiefs)1942, 1947, 1976, 1991, 2000, 2014Baltimore Orioles51935, 1937, 1944, 1945, 1946Montreal Royals1948, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955Toledo Mud Hens1976, 1983, 1996, 2007, 2021Newark Bears31932, 1933, 1939Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons/Yankees)2005, 2009, 2016Buffalo Bisons22004, 2015Indianapolis Indians1963, 1998Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Jacksonville Suns)1962, 1964Lehigh Valley IronPigs2017, 2018Louisville Colonels1969, 1972Richmond Braves1967, 1981Charlotte Knights11993Columbus Jets1970Louisville Bats2002Memphis Redbirds2023

Wins by organization

Active International League–Major League Baseball affiliations appear in bold.

Organization Award(s) Year(s)New York Yankees141932, 1933, 1939, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1992, 2003, 2009, 2016Baltimore Orioles101966, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1988, 1994, 2019, 2025Boston Red Sox1965, 1969, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986, 2008, 2012Cleveland Guardians (Cleveland Indians)1944, 1945, 1946, 1960, 1962, 1976, 1993, 2004, 2024, 2026New York Mets61975, 1987, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1997Tampa Bay Rays (Tampa Bay Devil Rays)1999, 2001, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2022Cincinnati Reds51934, 1942, 1947, 1998, 2002Detroit Tigers1932, 1941, 1996, 2007, 2021Los Angeles Dodgers (Brooklyn Dodgers)1948, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955Philadelphia Phillies1959, 1961, 2005, 2017, 2018St. Louis Cardinals1940, 1943, 1950, 1964, 2023Toronto Blue Jays31991, 2000, 2015Atlanta Braves21967, 1981Minnesota Twins1983, 2013Chicago White Sox11963Oakland Athletics (Kansas City Athletics)1957Pittsburgh Pirates1970Washington Nationals2014

See also Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player Award

Notes

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