To be named the Most Valuable Player in any professional sport is probably the most prestigious individual honor an athlete can receive to validate their greatness. Major League Baseball first named an MVP in both the American and National Leagues in 1911. Besides a small gap around the time of World War I, this exalted award has been given to one player in each league since 1924 (or two players in one rare case).
If you scan the list of all-time MVP winners, you will see tons of Hall of Famers and household names. However, you’ll also notice some unfamiliar players. For every Babe Ruth, there is a Bob O’Farrell. If you throw out Mickey Mantle, there is always Zoilo Versalles. Hank Aaron won the award once, but George Bell also has one.
Since the legends get most of the fanfare, let’s give a little love to some of the guys who don’t have a place in Cooperstown. This series is in two sections, in chronological order. Here’s the conclusion to our brief two-part series discussing some of MLB’s most obscure MVPs.
Lightning in a Bottle: MLB’s Most Obscure MVPs (Part Two)
Willie Hernandez (1984 American League MVP)
In 1984, the Detroit Tigers had a special season that included 104 wins and a World Series title, their most recent to date. Journeyman reliever Willie Hernandez was a huge contributor … winning both the Cy Young Award and AL MVP. Hernandez had an AL-best 80 appearances and 68 games finished to the roar of 32 saves, a 1.92 ERA, and a o.941 WHIP.
Terry Pendleton (1991 National League MVP)
Terry Pendleton helped the Atlanta Braves go from worst to first in 1991. He edged some guy named Bonds for the NL MVP with league highs in hits (187), batting average (.319), and total bases (303). This third baseman and his teammates lost an excruciating Fall Classic, but this season sparked Atlanta’s reign of dominance.
June 20, 1991 | Mets at Braves
“And this marks the first time in Terry Pendleton’s career he’s ever hit two home runs in one game in the Major Leagues!” – Pete Van Wieren pic.twitter.com/RknWd8VOUf
— Braves on TBS (@BravesOnWTBS) June 20, 2025
Ken Caminiti (1996 National League MVP)
And now we move on to Final Jeopardy … he is the only San Diego Padre to win the Most Valuable Player award. Who is Ken Caminiti? This bulky and cannon-armed third baseman was the 1996 NL MVP with a Gold Glove, 40 homers, 130 RBI, a .326 average, and a 1.028 OPS. That year, the Friars won their first division title since 1984.
April 22, 1996: Padres 3B Ken Caminiti with one of the sickest plays you’ll ever see. pic.twitter.com/sCei88ILqm
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) April 22, 2021
Justin Morneau (2006 American League MVP)
In 2006, Justin Morneau became the second Canadian to win an MVP award (a third has since done it). His Minnesota Twins won the AL Central, and he won the AL MVP (a year when three Twins finished in the top seven of the voting). This first baseman slugging from the left side of the plate produced 34 homers, 130 RBI, and a .321 average. Among his biggest competition for MVP his teammate Joe Mauer, who won the AL batting title that season.
On this day in 2006, Justin Morneau was named the American League MVP! pic.twitter.com/Ff9BfJ4RXx
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) November 21, 2025
Josh Donaldson (2015 American League MVP)
Josh Donaldson’s MVP season in 2015 helped get the Toronto Blue Jays to the playoffs for the first time since Joe Carter’s merry trot around the bases. In his first year in Canada after a successful stint in Oakland, this mohawk-headed third baseman launched 41 home runs with AL-best numbers in runs (122), RBI (123), and total bases (352).
Josh Donaldson brought the thunder in his 2015 AL MVP campaign. pic.twitter.com/t9sFh17RJt
— MLB (@MLB) March 5, 2024
Main Photo Credit: © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images