With the World Series beginning on Friday, players from the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers will be vying for a championship and a chance at MVP. Last year Jeremy Pena of the Houston Astros took home the award, becoming the first player from a Rhode Island high school to win.
The first World Series MVP was awarded to Johnny Podres of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955 after he pitched a complete game shutout in Game 7 against the New York Yankees. Podres is one of five World Series MVP's to go to high school in New York. The others are Whitey Ford, Sandy Koufax, Manny Ramirez and Frank Viola.
When it comes to bragging rights California claims the top spot with 15 players to win World Series MVP. The first was in 1956 when Don Larsen of
Point Loma (San Diego) won the award after throwing a perfect game for the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Since 2000 the Golden State have had four players be honored as World Series MVP including Randy Johnson of
Livermore.
San Diego has five selections with Larsen being followed by Alan Trammell of
Kearny (San Diego), Troy Glaus of
Carlsbad, Cole Hamels of
Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) and Stephen Strasburg of
West Hills (Santee). Trammell even coached under current Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy with the San Diego Padres for two seasons before becoming the manager of the Detroit Tigers.
New York and Florida are tied for second with five selections a piece. Ohio has four, including Pete Rose. No high school has ever had two different players win World Series MVP. Sandy Koufax of
Lafayette (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Bob Gibson of Tech (Omaha, Neb.) and Reggie Jackson of
Cheltenham (Wyncote, Pa.) all won the award twice.
In total, 24 states have produced a World Series MVP.
California - 15Rick Dempsey, 1983,
Crespi (Encino)Jermaine Dye, 2005,
Wood (Vacaville)Rollie Fingers, 1974,
UplandTroy Glaus, 2002,
CarlsbadCole Hamels, 2008,
Rancho Bernardo (San Diego)Randy Johnson, 2001,
LivermoreDon Larsen, 1956,
Point Loma (San Diego)Frank Robinson, 1966,
McClymonds (Oakland)Bret Saberhagen, 1985,
Cleveland (Reseda)Larry Sherry, 1959,
Fairfax (Los Angeles)Willie Stargell, 1979,
Encinal (Alameda)Dave Stewart, 1989,
St. Elizabeth (Oakland)Stephen Strasburg, 2019,
West Hills (Santee)Alan Trammell, 1984,
Kearny (San Diego)John Wettleland, 1996,
Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa)Florida - 5Pat Borders, 1992,
Lake WalesBucky Dent, 1978,
HialeahDavid Eckstein, 2006,
Seminole (Sanford)Mike Lowell, 2007,
Coral GablesSteve Pearce, 2018,
LakelandNew York - 5Whitey Ford, 1961,
Aviation (Long Island City)Sandy Koufax, 1963/1965,
Lafayette (Brooklyn)Johnny Podres, 1955, Mineville
Manny Ramirez, 2004,
Washington (New York)Frank Viola, 1987,
East MeadowOhio - 4Pete Rose, 1975,
Western Hills (Cincinnati)Mike Schmidt, 1980, Fairview (Dayton)
Gene Tenace, 1972,
Valley (Lucasville)Steve Yeager, 1981,
Meadowdale (Dayton)Oklahoma - 3Johnny Bench, 1976,
Binger-Oney (Binger)Darrell Porter, 1982,
Southeast (Oklahoma City)Ralph Terry, 1962,
ChelseaGeorgia - 2Donn Clendenon, 1969,
Washington (Atlanta)Ray Knight, 1986,
Dougherty (Albany)Illinois - 2Bob Turley, 1958,
East St. LouisBen Zobrist, 2016,
EurekaMinnesota - 2Paul Molitor, 1993,
Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul)Jack Morris, 1991,
Highland Park (St. Paul)North Carolina - 2Madison Bumgarner, 2014,
South Caldwell (Hudson)Corey Seager, 2020
Northwest Cabarrus (Concord)Oregon - 2Scott Brosius, 1998,
Putnam (Milwaukie)Mickey Lolich, 1968,
Lincoln (Portland)Arkansas - 1Brooks Robinson, 1970,
Central (Little Rock)Arizona -1Curt Schilling, 2001,
Shadow Mountain (Phoenix)Connecticut - 1George Springer, 2017,
Avon Old Farms (Avon)Massachusetts - 1Tom Glavine, 1995,
Billerica Memorial (Billerica)Michigan - 1Derek Jeter, 2000,
Kalamazoo Central (Kalamazoo)Missouri - 1David Freese, 2011,
Lafayette (Wildwood)Nebraska - 1Bob Gibson, 1964/1967, Tech (Omaha)
New Jersey - 1Orel Hershiser, 1988,
Cherry Hill East (Cherry Hill)Pennsylvania - 1Reggie Jackson, 1973/1977,
Cheltenham (Wyncote)Rhode Island - 1Jeremy Pena, 2022,
Classical (Providence)
South Carolina - 1Bobby Richardson, 1960,
SumterTexas - 1Josh Beckett, 2003,
SpringWashington - 1Ron Cey, 1981,
Mount Tahoma (Tacoma)West Virginia - 1Lew Burdette, 1957,
NitroOutside of United StatesRoberto Clemente, 1971, Puerto Rico
Pedro Guerrero, 1981, Dominican Republic
Livan Hernandez, 1997, Cuba
Hideki Matsui, 2009, Japan
David Ortiz, 2013, Dominican Republic
Salvador Perez, 2015, Venezuela
Edgar Renteria, 2010, Colombia
Jose Rijo, 1990, Dominican Republic
Mariano Rivera, 1999, Panama
Pablo Sandoval, 2012, Venezuela
Jorge Soler, 2021, Cuba
