<Li> Giancarlo Stanton, National League </Li> <P> The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League . Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The winners receive the Kenesaw Mountain Landis Memorial Baseball Award, which became the official name of the award in 1944, in honor of the first MLB commissioner, who served from 1920 until his death on November 25, 1944 . </P> <P> MVP voting takes place before the postseason, but the results are not announced until after the World Series . The BBWAA began by polling three writers in each league city in 1938, reducing that number to two per league city in 1961 . The BBWAA does not offer a clear - cut definition of what "most valuable" means, instead leaving the judgment to the individual voters . </P> <P> First basemen, with 34 winners, have won the most MVPs among infielders, followed by second basemen (16), third basemen (15), and shortstops (15). Of the 25 pitchers who have won the award, 15 are right - handed while 10 are left - handed . Walter Johnson, Carl Hubbell, and Hal Newhouser are the only pitchers who have won multiple times, Newhouser winning consecutively in 1944 and 1945 . </P>

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