NPB MVP Award: History, Records and Every Winner

Munetaka Murakami (2021 and 2022 Central League MVP) batting at Koshien in 2024
Photo: とらとうはんしん via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Awards › NPB MVP Award: History, Records and Every Winner

The MVP award in Japan goes to the most valuable player in each league. MVP stands for Most Valuable Player. Each year, there is one MVP in the Central League and one in the Pacific League.

It is the top prize for one season in Japanese pro baseball.

This page covers how the award works. It tells how it began. It names the players who won it most. It lists the big records. And it gives every winner, through the 2025 season.

New to the leagues? Read how NPB works first. For other prizes, see our awards page.

Quick Facts

  • What it is: The award for the most valuable player in each league.
  • How many: Two each year. One for the Central League. One for the Pacific League.
  • Who votes: Baseball writers.
  • First winner: Eiji Sawamura, in the spring of 1937.
  • Most wins: Sadaharu Oh, with 9.
  • Next most: Shigeo Nagashima and Katsuya Nomura, with 5 each.
  • Youngest winners: Eiji Sawamura and Kazuhisa Inao, both at age 20.
  • Oldest winner: Hiromitsu Kadota, at age 40, in 1988.
  • 2025 winners: Teruaki Sato of the Hanshin Tigers and Livan Moinelo of the SoftBank Hawks.

What the MVP Award Is

Every season, many players have good years. The MVP award picks the one who meant the most to his team.

It is not just about stats. A player with a great year on a winning team often has the edge. But that is not a rule. Some MVPs came from teams that did not win.

Pitchers can win it. Hitters can win it. Catchers have won it. So have relief pitchers. So have players from other lands.

In Japan, the award has a long name. Today it is called the “Saikō Kachi Senshu.” That means “most valuable player.” Up to 1963, the name was a bit different. It was the “Saikō Shukun Senshu.” That means something like “player of highest merit.”

How the Voting Works

The MVP is picked by a vote. The voters are baseball writers and reporters who cover the game.

Each voter picks three players. He ranks them first, second and third.

  • A first-place vote is worth 5 points.
  • A second-place vote is worth 3 points.
  • A third-place vote is worth 1 point.

The points are added up. The player with the most points wins.

The votes for each league are counted on their own. So there are two races each year.

The winners are named after the season. They get the award at a big NPB awards show in the late fall.

Why the Vote Matters

Here’s the thing. A vote means people can disagree.

Some years, one player is clearly the best. Then he gets almost every first-place vote. Other years, two or three players have big seasons. Then the vote can be close.

Voters often think about team success. A star on a pennant winner gets a lot of credit. That is part of what “valuable” means to many writers.

But some MVPs came from teams that did not win the pennant. In 1964, Sadaharu Oh hit 55 home runs. His team did not win the pennant. He still won the MVP.

How It Began

Japan’s first pro league began in 1936. Back then, the league played short seasons. In 1937, there was a spring season and a fall season.

The first MVP was given for the spring of 1937. It went to Eiji Sawamura, a pitcher for the Tokyo Giants. He was 20 years old.

Sawamura was the first great pitcher in Japan. He is so famous that the top pitching prize is named after him. Read about it on our Sawamura Award page.

From 1937 until 1949, there was one league, so there was one MVP each season. Read more about the early years on our NPB founding page.

In 1950, the league split in two. From then on, there were two MVPs each year. See our page on the 1950 league split.

The Early Stars

The first years after the war belonged to a few big names.

Kazuto Tsuruoka won the MVP three times. He won it in 1946, 1948 and 1951. He played for the Nankai Hawks. In some of those years, he used the last name Yamamoto. It is the same person. Later, he became a great manager.

Tetsuharu Kawakami of the Giants won it three times too. He was called the “God of Batting.” Later, he managed the Giants to nine straight Japan Series titles.

Makoto Kozuru won the first Central League MVP in 1950. That year, he hit 51 home runs. That was a new record.

Kaoru Betto won the first Pacific League MVP in 1950. He played for the Mainichi Orions.

Sadaharu Oh: Nine Times

No one has won the MVP more than Sadaharu Oh. He won it nine times. All of them came with the Yomiuri Giants.

He won it in 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1976 and 1977.

Oh is the all-time home run king of Japan. He hit 868 in his career. He won the Triple Crown twice. That means he was first in three stats in one year. Those stats are batting average, home runs and runs batted in.

Read the full story on our Sadaharu Oh page.

Nagashima and Nomura: Five Each

Two players are tied for second, with five MVPs each.

Shigeo Nagashima was Oh’s teammate on the Giants. He won the MVP in 1961, 1963, 1966, 1968 and 1971. Fans loved him for his big hits in big games. Read about him on our Shigeo Nagashima page.

Katsuya Nomura was a catcher for the Nankai Hawks. He won the MVP in 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966 and 1973. He played in the other league. So he did not face Oh and Nagashima in the vote.

Nomura was a great hitter for a catcher. He hit 657 home runs. In 1965, he won the Triple Crown. Later, he became a famous manager.

Three-Time Winners

Several players have won the MVP three times.

  • Kazuto Tsuruoka: 1946, 1948 and 1951.
  • Tetsuharu Kawakami: three times, the last in 1955.
  • Hisashi Yamada: 1976, 1977 and 1978, with the Hankyu Braves.
  • Ichiro Suzuki: 1994, 1995 and 1996, with the Orix BlueWave.
  • Hideki Matsui: 1996, 2000 and 2002, with the Giants.
  • Tomoyuki Sugano: 2014, 2020 and 2024, with the Giants.
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 2021, 2022 and 2023, with the Orix Buffaloes.

Yamada, Ichiro and Yamamoto each won three years in a row.

Matsui and Ichiro both went on to star in MLB. Read about Matsui on our Hideki Matsui page. See more on our page about NPB players in MLB.

Winners in Both Leagues

Only two players have won the MVP in both leagues.

Yutaka Enatsu was a pitcher. He won the Central League MVP in 1979 with the Hiroshima Carp. Then he won the Pacific League MVP in 1981 with the Nippon-Ham Fighters. By then, he was a relief pitcher, or closer.

Michihiro Ogasawara was a hitter. He won the Pacific League MVP in 2006 with the Fighters. Then he moved to the Giants. He won the Central League MVP in 2007. So he won in back-to-back years in two leagues.

Pitchers Who Won

Pitchers have won the MVP many times. In the early years, top starters pitched a huge number of innings. That made them very valuable.

Some famous pitcher MVPs include:

  • Kazuhisa Inao: 1957 and 1958, Nishitetsu Lions.
  • Tadashi Sugiura: 1959, Nankai Hawks.
  • Minoru Murayama: 1962, Hanshin Tigers.
  • Hisashi Yamada: three straight, 1976 to 1978.
  • Hideo Nomo: 1990, Kintetsu Buffaloes.
  • Yu Darvish: 2007 and 2009, Nippon-Ham Fighters.
  • Masahiro Tanaka: 2013, Rakuten Eagles.
  • Shohei Ohtani: 2016, Nippon-Ham Fighters.
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto: three straight, 2021 to 2023.

Relief pitchers have won too. Enatsu won twice. Kazuhiro Sasaki won in 1998 with the Yokohama BayStars. Dennis Sarfate won in 2017 with SoftBank.

Read about Darvish on our Yu Darvish page. Read about Nomo on our Hideo Nomo page.

Catchers Who Won

Catching is hard work. But several catchers have been MVP.

  • Katsuya Nomura: five times.
  • Takayoshi Nakao: 1982, Chunichi.
  • Kazuhiro Yamakura: 1987, Giants.
  • Atsuya Furuta: 1993 and 1997, Yakult.
  • Kenji Johjima: 2003, Daiei Hawks.
  • Shinnosuke Abe: 2012, Giants.
  • Tomoya Mori: 2019, Seibu.

Foreign-Born Winners

Many players born outside Japan have won the MVP. Here are some of them.

  • Wally Yonamine: 1957, Giants. He was born in Hawaii.
  • Joe Stanka: 1964, Nankai.
  • Charlie Manuel: 1979, Kintetsu.
  • Greg Wells: 1984, Hankyu.
  • Randy Bass: 1985, Hanshin.
  • Warren Cromartie: 1989, Giants.
  • Ralph Bryant: 1989, Kintetsu.
  • Jack Howell: 1992, Yakult.
  • Tom O’Malley: 1995, Yakult.
  • Roberto Petagine: 2001, Yakult.
  • Tuffy Rhodes: 2001, Kintetsu.
  • Alex Cabrera: 2002, Seibu.
  • Alex Ramirez: 2008 and 2009, Giants.
  • Wladimir Balentien: 2013, Yakult.
  • Dennis Sarfate: 2017, SoftBank.
  • Livan Moinelo: 2025, SoftBank.

Twice, a foreign player won the MVP in both leagues in the same year. In 1989, it was Cromartie and Bryant. In 2001, it was Petagine and Rhodes.

Read about many of these players on our page about Americans in NPB.

Records and Firsts

Youngest MVP. Eiji Sawamura and Kazuhisa Inao were both 20 years old when they won.

Oldest MVP. Hiromitsu Kadota won in 1988, at age 40. He hit 44 home runs that year for the Nankai Hawks.

MVP and Rookie of the Year. Three players won the MVP and the Rookie of the Year in the same season.

  • Isamu Kida: 1980, Nippon-Ham.
  • Hideo Nomo: 1990, Kintetsu.
  • Shoki Murakami: 2023, Hanshin.

Two MVPs in one family name. Do not mix up the two Murakamis. Munetaka Murakami, a hitter for Yakult, won in 2021 and 2022. Shoki Murakami, a pitcher for Hanshin, won in 2023. They are not related.

From a last-place team. In 2013, Wladimir Balentien won the MVP even though Yakult finished last. He had just hit 60 home runs, a new record. One source says he was the first MVP ever from a last-place team.

Unanimous Winners

Sometimes every voter puts the same player first. That is called a unanimous win.

Japanese sources list a few of these. Here they are.

  • Shigeru Sugishita: 1954.
  • Tadashi Sugiura: 1959.
  • Shigeo Nagashima: 1961 and 1971.
  • Katsuya Nomura: 1965.
  • Sadaharu Oh: 1973 and 1977.
  • Masahiro Tanaka: 2013.
  • Munetaka Murakami: 2022.

We found this list in Japanese sources. English sources do not list it.

That is a rare honor. It means no writer thought anyone else came close.

Famous MVP Seasons

Oh, 1964. Oh hit 55 home runs. That broke the record. His team, the Giants, did not win the pennant. He still won the MVP. Read more on our home run record page.

Bass, 1985. Randy Bass won the Triple Crown. Hanshin won its first Japan Series. He was the MVP of the league and the series.

Ichiro, 1994. Ichiro got 210 hits in 130 games. It was a new record. He was just 20. He won three MVPs in a row.

Tanaka, 2013. Masahiro Tanaka went 24 wins and 0 losses. Then Rakuten won the Japan Series.

Murakami, 2022. Munetaka Murakami hit 56 home runs. That is the most ever by a Japanese-born player. He also won the Triple Crown.

Yamamoto, 2021 to 2023. Yoshinobu Yamamoto won the MVP three years in a row. He also won the Sawamura Award all three years. Then he went to MLB.

MVP Winners by Team

The Giants have had the most MVPs by far. Oh and Nagashima alone won 14.

In the Pacific League, the Hawks have had many winners. That includes the Nankai, Daiei and SoftBank years. Nomura alone won five for Nankai.

The Hankyu Braves had a great run in the 1970s. Yamada won three. Tokuji Nagaike won two.

The Seibu Lions had many winners in the 1980s and 1990s. They include Osamu Higashio, Kimiyasu Kudo and Kazuo Matsui.

To read about each team, visit our teams page.

How Fans Talk About the MVP

Fans love to argue about the MVP. That is part of the fun.

Some fans say the best player should win. Full stop. Others say the player has to help a team win. They think a star on a bad team is not as “valuable.”

Then there is the pitcher question. A top starter pitches once a week or so. A top hitter plays every day. Who means more? There is no one right answer.

Writers in Japan have picked both. Some years they pick a slugger. Some years they pick an ace. In the 2020s, aces have won a lot. Yamamoto won three times. Sugano won twice. Shoki Murakami and Moinelo won too.

Here’s a tip. When you look at an MVP year, look at the team too. Did the team win the pennant? Did the player carry them? That often tells you why he won.

Central League MVP Winners

Here is every Central League MVP, from 1950 through 2025. A number in ( ) shows which win it was for him.

Year Player Team Position
1950 Makoto Kozuru Shochiku Robins Outfielder
1951 Tetsuharu Kawakami (2) Yomiuri Giants First baseman
1952 Takehiko Bessho Yomiuri Giants Pitcher
1953 Takumi Otomo Yomiuri Giants Pitcher
1954 Shigeru Sugishita Chunichi Dragons Pitcher
1955 Tetsuharu Kawakami (3) Yomiuri Giants First baseman
1956 Takehiko Bessho (2) Yomiuri Giants Pitcher
1957 Wally Yonamine Yomiuri Giants Outfielder
1958 Motoshi Fujita Yomiuri Giants Pitcher
1959 Motoshi Fujita (2) Yomiuri Giants Pitcher
1960 Noboru Akiyama Taiyo Whales Pitcher
1961 Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants Third baseman
1962 Minoru Murayama Osaka Tigers Pitcher
1963 Shigeo Nagashima (2) Yomiuri Giants Third baseman
1964 Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri Giants First baseman
1965 Sadaharu Oh (2) Yomiuri Giants First baseman
1966 Shigeo Nagashima (3) Yomiuri Giants Third baseman
1967 Sadaharu Oh (3) Yomiuri Giants First baseman
1968 Shigeo Nagashima (4) Yomiuri Giants Third baseman
1969 Sadaharu Oh (4) Yomiuri Giants First baseman
1970 Sadaharu Oh (5) Yomiuri Giants First baseman
1971 Shigeo Nagashima (5) Yomiuri Giants Third baseman
1972 Tsuneo Horiuchi Yomiuri Giants Pitcher
1973 Sadaharu Oh (6) Yomiuri Giants First baseman
1974 Sadaharu Oh (7) Yomiuri Giants First baseman
1975 Koji Yamamoto Hiroshima Toyo Carp Outfielder
1976 Sadaharu Oh (8) Yomiuri Giants First baseman
1977 Sadaharu Oh (9) Yomiuri Giants First baseman
1978 Tsutomu Wakamatsu Yakult Swallows Outfielder
1979 Yutaka Enatsu Hiroshima Toyo Carp Relief pitcher
1980 Koji Yamamoto (2) Hiroshima Toyo Carp Outfielder
1981 Suguru Egawa Yomiuri Giants Starting pitcher
1982 Takayoshi Nakao Chunichi Dragons Catcher
1983 Tatsunori Hara Yomiuri Giants Third baseman
1984 Sachio Kinugasa Hiroshima Toyo Carp Infielder
1985 Randy Bass Hanshin Tigers First baseman
1986 Manabu Kitabeppu Hiroshima Toyo Carp Starting pitcher
1987 Kazuhiro Yamakura Yomiuri Giants Catcher
1988 Genji Kaku Chunichi Dragons Relief pitcher
1989 Warren Cromartie Yomiuri Giants Outfielder
1990 Masaki Saito Yomiuri Giants Starting pitcher
1991 Shinji Sasaoka Hiroshima Toyo Carp Starting pitcher
1992 Jack Howell Yakult Swallows Third baseman
1993 Atsuya Furuta Yakult Swallows Catcher
1994 Masumi Kuwata Yomiuri Giants Starting pitcher
1995 Tom O’Malley Yakult Swallows First baseman
1996 Hideki Matsui Yomiuri Giants Outfielder
1997 Atsuya Furuta (2) Yakult Swallows Catcher
1998 Kazuhiro Sasaki Yokohama BayStars Relief pitcher
1999 Shigeki Noguchi Chunichi Dragons Starting pitcher
2000 Hideki Matsui (2) Yomiuri Giants Outfielder
2001 Roberto Petagine Yakult Swallows First baseman
2002 Hideki Matsui (3) Yomiuri Giants Outfielder
2003 Kei Igawa Hanshin Tigers Starting pitcher
2004 Kenshin Kawakami Chunichi Dragons Starting pitcher
2005 Tomoaki Kanemoto Hanshin Tigers Outfielder
2006 Kosuke Fukudome Chunichi Dragons Outfielder
2007 Michihiro Ogasawara (2) Yomiuri Giants Third baseman
2008 Alex Ramírez Yomiuri Giants Outfielder
2009 Alex Ramírez (2) Yomiuri Giants Outfielder
2010 Kazuhiro Wada Chunichi Dragons Outfielder
2011 Takuya Asao Chunichi Dragons Relief pitcher
2012 Shinnosuke Abe Yomiuri Giants Catcher
2013 Wladimir Balentien Tokyo Yakult Swallows Outfielder
2014 Tomoyuki Sugano Yomiuri Giants Starting pitcher
2015 Tetsuto Yamada Tokyo Yakult Swallows Second baseman
2016 Takahiro Arai Hiroshima Toyo Carp First baseman
2017 Yoshihiro Maru Hiroshima Toyo Carp Outfielder
2018 Yoshihiro Maru (2) Hiroshima Toyo Carp Outfielder
2019 Hayato Sakamoto Yomiuri Giants Shortstop
2020 Tomoyuki Sugano (2) Yomiuri Giants Pitcher
2021 Munetaka Murakami Tokyo Yakult Swallows Third baseman
2022 Munetaka Murakami (2) Tokyo Yakult Swallows Third baseman
2023 Shōki Murakami Hanshin Tigers Pitcher
2024 Tomoyuki Sugano (3) Yomiuri Giants Pitcher
2025 Teruaki Sato Hanshin Tigers Third baseman

Pacific League MVP Winners

Here is every Pacific League MVP, from 1950 through 2025. Kazuto Tsuruoka’s count of three includes his MVPs from before the split.

Year Player Team Position
1950 Kaoru Betto Mainichi Orions Outfielder
1951 Kazuto Tsuruoka (3) Nankai Hawks Second baseman
1952 Susumu Yuki Nankai Hawks Pitcher
1953 Isami Okamoto Nankai Hawks Second baseman
1954 Hiroshi Oshita Nishitetsu Lions Outfielder
1955 Tokuji Iida Nankai Hawks Outfielder
1956 Futoshi Nakanishi Nishitetsu Lions Third baseman
1957 Kazuhisa Inao Nishitetsu Lions Pitcher
1958 Kazuhisa Inao (2) Nishitetsu Lions Pitcher
1959 Tadashi Sugiura Nankai Hawks Pitcher
1960 Kazuhiro Yamauchi Daimai Orions Outfielder
1961 Katsuya Nomura Nankai Hawks Catcher
1962 Isao Harimoto Toei Flyers Outfielder
1963 Katsuya Nomura (2) Nankai Hawks Catcher
1964 Joe Stanka Nankai Hawks Pitcher
1965 Katsuya Nomura (3) Nankai Hawks Catcher
1966 Katsuya Nomura (4) Nankai Hawks Catcher
1967 Mitsuhiro Adachi Hankyu Braves Pitcher
1968 Tetsuya Yoneda Hankyu Braves Pitcher
1969 Tokuji Nagaike Hankyu Braves Outfielder
1970 Masaaki Kitaru Lotte Orions Pitcher
1971 Tokuji Nagaike (2) Hankyu Braves Outfielder
1972 Yutaka Fukumoto Hankyu Braves Outfielder
1973 Katsuya Nomura (5) Nankai Hawks Catcher
1974 Tomehiro Kaneda Lotte Orions Pitcher
1975 Hideji Kato Hankyu Braves First baseman
1976 Hisashi Yamada Hankyu Braves Pitcher
1977 Hisashi Yamada (2) Hankyu Braves Pitcher
1978 Hisashi Yamada (3) Hankyu Braves Pitcher
1979 Charlie Manuel Kintetsu Buffaloes Outfielder
1980 Isamu Kida Nippon Ham Fighters Pitcher
1981 Yutaka Enatsu (2) Nippon Ham Fighters Pitcher
1982 Hiromitsu Ochiai Lotte Orions Second baseman
1983 Osamu Higashio Seibu Lions Pitcher
1984 Greg Wells Hankyu Braves First baseman
1985 Hiromitsu Ochiai (2) Lotte Orions Infielder
1986 Hiromichi Ishige Seibu Lions Shortstop
1987 Osamu Higashio (2) Seibu Lions Starting pitcher
1988 Hiromitsu Kadota Nankai Hawks Outfielder
1989 Ralph Bryant Kintetsu Buffaloes Outfielder
1990 Hideo Nomo Kintetsu Buffaloes Starting pitcher
1991 Taigen Kaku Seibu Lions Starting pitcher
1992 Takehiro Ishii Seibu Lions Pitcher
1993 Kimiyasu Kudo Seibu Lions Starting pitcher
1994 Ichiro Suzuki Orix BlueWave Outfielder
1995 Ichiro Suzuki (2) Orix BlueWave Outfielder
1996 Ichiro Suzuki (3) Orix BlueWave Outfielder
1997 Fumiya Nishiguchi Seibu Lions Pitcher
1998 Kazuo Matsui Seibu Lions Shortstop
1999 Kimiyasu Kudo (2) Fukuoka Daiei Hawks Starting pitcher
2000 Nobuhiko Matsunaka Fukuoka Daiei Hawks First baseman
2001 Tuffy Rhodes Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes Outfielder
2002 Alex Cabrera Seibu Lions First baseman
2003 Kenji Johjima Fukuoka Daiei Hawks Catcher
2004 Nobuhiko Matsunaka (2) Fukuoka Daiei Hawks First baseman
2005 Toshiya Sugiuchi Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Starting pitcher
2006 Michihiro Ogasawara Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters First baseman
2007 Yu Darvish Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Starting pitcher
2008 Hisashi Iwakuma Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles Starting pitcher
2009 Yu Darvish (2) Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Pitcher
2010 Tsuyoshi Wada Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Starting pitcher
2011 Seiichi Uchikawa Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks First baseman
2012 Mitsuo Yoshikawa Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Starting pitcher
2013 Masahiro Tanaka Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles Starting pitcher
2014 Chihiro Kaneko Orix Buffaloes Pitcher
2015 Yuki Yanagita Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Outfielder
2016 Shohei Ohtani Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Starting pitcher/Designated hitter
2017 Dennis Sarfate Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Pitcher
2018 Hotaka Yamakawa Saitama Seibu Lions First baseman
2019 Tomoya Mori Saitama Seibu Lions Catcher
2020 Yuki Yanagita (2) Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Outfielder
2021 Yoshinobu Yamamoto Orix Buffaloes Pitcher
2022 Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2) Orix Buffaloes Pitcher
2023 Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3) Orix Buffaloes Pitcher
2024 Kensuke Kondoh Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Outfielder
2025 Liván Moinelo Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Starting pitcher

How It Differs From MLB

The MVP in Japan is a lot like the MVP in MLB. Both are picked by writers. Both pick one player per league.

There are some small differences.

  • In Japan, each voter ranks three players. In MLB, voters rank ten.
  • Japan uses 5, 3 and 1 points for the three spots.
  • The Japan award goes back to 1937. That is the spring season of the old one-league era.

For more on how the two games differ, see our NPB vs MLB guide.

Other Awards to Know

The MVP is the biggest award. But there are others.

  • Sawamura Award: For the best starting pitcher. Read our Sawamura Award page.
  • Best Nine: The best player at each spot. Read our Best Nine page.
  • Japan Series MVP: For the best player in the Japan Series. Read our Japan Series page.
  • Rookie of the Year: For the best new player.
  • Title holders: The league leaders in each stat. See our title holders page.

Key Terms

  • MVP: Most Valuable Player.
  • Central League: One of the two leagues in NPB.
  • Pacific League: The other league.
  • Unanimous: Every voter picked the same player first.
  • Triple Crown: Being first in the league in batting average, home runs and runs batted in. It must all be in one year.
  • Rookie of the Year: The award for the best first-year player.

See more in our glossary.

Common Questions

Who has won the most MVPs in Japan? Sadaharu Oh, with 9.

How is the MVP picked? Baseball writers vote. Each one ranks three players. First place gets 5 points, second gets 3 and third gets 1.

Can a pitcher win the MVP? Yes. Many have. Yoshinobu Yamamoto won it three years in a row.

Has anyone won it in both leagues? Yes, two players. Yutaka Enatsu and Michihiro Ogasawara.

Who won the MVP in 2025? Teruaki Sato of the Hanshin Tigers won in the Central League. Livan Moinelo of the SoftBank Hawks won in the Pacific League.

Who was the first MVP? Eiji Sawamura, for the spring season of 1937.

The Bottom Line

The MVP award is the top single-season prize in Japanese baseball. Writers vote, and there is one winner in each league.

Sadaharu Oh won it nine times. That record may never fall. Nagashima and Nomura won five each. Many stars won it and then went to MLB. Ichiro did. So did Matsui, Darvish, Ohtani and Yamamoto.

As of the 2025 season, the latest winners are Teruaki Sato and Livan Moinelo.

Sources