[cgjackson222]

Match the number of times each position has won the MVP award:

1) 38 1B
2) 30 RF
3) 24 LF
4) 21 SP
5) 21 CF
6) 19 3B
7) 18 C
8) 16 2B
9) 16 SS
10) 4 RP
11) 1 DH


Now match the number of times each position has had the highest bWAR in either League*

1) 81 SP
2) 27 CF
3) 25 RF
4) 19 LF
5) 14 1B
6) 13 SS
7) 12 2B
8) 11 3B
9) 2 C
10) 1 DH


Gorditadogg, you did quite well!

Starting Pitchers dominate WAR, and before the advent of the Cy Young in 1956, used to win the MVP regularly. Starting in 1934, there was a 10-year stretch in the NL, when pitchers won MVP 5x.

But since 1956, starting pitchers have only won MVP 9x (including Newcombe in 1956) despite leading in WAR 54x.

Willie Mays led the NL in WAR a record 9x and won 2 MVPs. Ted Williams led the AL in WAR 6x and won 2 MVPs, and Babe Ruth led in WAR 6x and only won MVP 1x. In the early days of the MVP before the 30s, it was common practice to only award the MVP to a player one time.

With Paul Goldschmidt's recent win, 1st Basemen have now won MVP 38x, despite leading in WAR only 14x. This may be in part due to voter's favoring offense over defense, and the challenge of getting positive dWAR at the position.

A catcher has only led the League in WAR 2x, despite winning MVP 18x. Buster Posey led the NL in WAR and won the MVP in 2012, and Gary Carter led the NL in WAR in 1982, but finished a distant 12th in the voting.

A relief pitcher has never come close to leading the League in WAR, but has won MVP 4x. Dennis Eckersly's WAR of 2.9 during his MVP year in 1992 is the 2nd lowest WAR to win an MVP (Roger Peckinpaugh won the AL MVP in 1925 with a WAR of 2.7), including strike shortened years. He did not finish in the top 50 in WAR in the AL, and finished 26th for pitchers.