It’s more than likely the MVP winners will be Shohei Ohtani in the National League and Aaron Judge in the American League. Both players have led their team to the World Series.
So, when was the last time the two league MVPs matched up in the Fall Classic?
2012, when the Tigers, led by soon-to-be-MVP winner Miguel Cabrera, who also won the Triple Crown that year, met Bruce Bochy’s San Francisco Giants, led by MVP Buster Posey, who is now the Giants general manager.
It’s happened quite a few times before that, most recently:
The 1988 World Series between Oakland and Los Angeles featured MVP winners Jose Canseco of the Athletics and Kirk Gibson of the Dodgers.
In 1980, MVP George Brett’s Kansas City Royals squared off against MVP Mike Schmitt’s Philadelphia Phillies.
1976: Thurman Munson (Yankees) and Joe Morgan (Reds)
1975: Fred Lynne (Red Sox) and Joe Morgan (Reds)
1970: Book Powell (Orioles) and Johnny Bench (Reds)
1968: Denny McLain (Tigers) and Bob Gibson (Cardinals)
1967: Carl Yastrzemski (Red Sox) and Orlando Cepeda (Cardinals)
1963: Elston Howard (Yankees) and Sandy Koufax (Dodgers)
1961: Roger Maris (Yankees) and Frank Robinson (Reds)
1960: Roger Maris (Yankees) and Dick Groat (Pirates)
1957: Mickey Mantle (Yankees) and Hank Aaron (Braves)
1956: Mickey Mantle (Yankees) and Don Newcombe (Dodgers)
1957: Mickey Mantle (Yankees) and Hank Aaron (Braves)
1956: Mickey Mantle (Yankees) and Don Newcombe (Dodgers)
1955: Yogi Berra (Yankees) and Roy Campanella (Dodgers)
1950: Phil Rizzuto (Yankees) and Jim Konstanty (Phillies)
1943: Spud Chandler (Yankees) and Stan Musial (Cardinals)
1942: Joe Gordon (Yankees) and Mort Cooper (Cardinals)
1941: Joe DiMaggio (Yankees) and Dolph Camilli (Dodgers)
1940: Hank Greenberg (Tigers) and Frank McCormick (Reds)
1939: Joe DiMaggio (Yankees) and Bucky Walters (Reds)
1936: Lou Gehrig (Yankees) and Carl Hubbell (Giants)
1935: Hank Greenberg (Tigers) and Gabby Hartnett (Cubs)
1934: Mickey Cochrane (Tigers) and Dizzy Dean (Cardinals)
1931: Lefty Grove (Athletics) and Frankie Frisch (Cardinals)
The World Series starts Friday.