The American League Championship Series (ALCS), also known as the American League Pennant, is one of two League Championship Series that make up the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is a best-of-seven playoff. The two champions of the American League (AL) Division Series compete in it. The winner of the ALCS takes home the AL pennant and proceeds to the MLB's championship series, the MLB World Series, where they will face the victor of the National League (NL) Championship Series.
The American League Championship Series (ALCS) was originally introduced in 1969 in the league. Notably, before 1969, the champions were selected according to the teams that had the best win-loss record throughout the regular season. However, in 1969, the ALCS games started a best-of-five game series format, which was further increased to a best-of-seven series format in 1985. The ALCS was also provided with an East, Central, and West Division in 1994. The best players from the teams in the league have been awarded the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award (ALCS MVP) since 1980. More recently, Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees became the ALCS MVP Award winner in 2024.
Read More:- NLCS MVP Award Winners
What is the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award?
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player (MVP) is notable for being one of several important awards in the league. This award is provided to the players who have been outstanding through the regular season. There are two MVP Awards for two players every season - one from the National League (NL) and one from the American League (AL). This award has been presented by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) to the players since 1931. Notably, MLB started presenting the award to the best player from the American League (AL) since 1980. Likewise, they started providing the same award to the players from the National League (NL) in 1977.
List of All ALCS Most Valuable Player Award Winners (Year-By-Year)
The following table is a detail of all the players who have become the ALCS MVP Award winners in MLB from 1980 to 2024 as per ESPN -
| Year | Player | Team | Position |
| 1980 | Frank White | Kansas City Royals | Second Baseman |
| 1981 | Graig Nettles | New York Yankees | Third Baseman |
| 1982 | Fred Lynn | California Angels | Outfielder |
| 1983 | Mike Boddicker | Baltimore Orioles | Starting Pitcher |
| 1984 | Kirk Gibson | Detroit Tigers | Outfielder |
| 1985 | George Brett | Kansas City Royals | Third Baseman |
| 1986 | Marty Barrett | Boston Red Sox | Second Baseman |
| 1987 | Gary Gaetti | Minnesota Twins | Third Baseman |
| 1988 | Dennis Eckersley | Oakland Athletics | Relief Pitcher |
| 1989 | Rickey Henderson | Oakland Athletics | Outfielder |
| 1990 | Dave Stewart | Oakland Athletics | Starting Pitcher |
| 1991 | Kirby Puckett | Minnesota Twins | Outfielder |
| 1992 | Roberto Alomar | Toronto Blue Jays | Second Baseman |
| 1993 | Dave Stewart | Toronto Blue Jays | Starting Pitcher |
| 1994 | Series cancelled due to the player's strike | ||
| 1995 | Orel Hershiser | Cleveland Indians | Starting Pitcher |
| 1996 | Bernie Williams | New York Yankees | Outfielder |
| 1997 | Marquis Grissom | Cleveland Indians | Outfielder |
| 1998 | David Wells | New York Yankees | Starting Pitcher |
| 1999 | Orlando Hernandez | New York Yankees | Starting Pitcher |
| 2000 | David Justice | New York Yankees | Outfielder |
| 2001 | Andy Pettitte | New York Yankees | Starting Pitcher |
| 2002 | Adam Kennedy | Anaheim Angels | Second Baseman |
| 2003 | Mariano Rivera | New York Yankees | Relief Pitcher |
| 2004 | David Ortiz | Boston Red Sox | Designated Hitter |
| 2005 | Paul Konerko | Chicago White Six | First Baseman |
| 2006 | Placido Polanco | Detroit Tigers | Second Baseman |
| 2007 | Josh Beckett | Boston Red Sox | Starting Pitcher |
| 2008 | Matt Garza | Tampa Bay Rays | Starting Pitcher |
| 2009 | C. C. Sabathia | New York Yankees | Starting Pitcher |
| 2010 | Josh Hamilton | Texas Rangers | Outfielder |
| 2011 | Nelson Cruz | Texas Rangers | Outfielder |
| 2012 | Delmon Young | Detroit Tigers | Designated Hitter |
| 2013 | Koji Uehara | Boston Red Sox | Relief Pitcher |
| 2014 | Lorenzo Cain | Kansas City Royals | Outfielder |
| 2015 | Alcides Escobar | Kansas City Royals | Shortstop |
| 2016 | Andrew Miller | Cleveland Indians | Relief Pitcher |
| 2017 | Justin Verlander | Houston Astros | Starting Pitcher |
| 2018 | Jackie Bradley Jr. | Boston Red Sox | Center Fielder |
| 2019 | Jose Altuve | Houston Astros | Second Baseman |
| 2020 | Randy Arozarena | Tampa Bay Rays | Outfielder |
| 2021 | Yordan Alvarez | Houston Astros | Designated Hitter |
| 2022 | Jeremy Peña | Houston Astros | Shortstop |
| 2023 | Adolis Garcia | Texas Rangers | Right Fielder |
| 2024 | Giancarlo Stanton | New York Yankees | Designated Hitter |
FAQs on ALCS MVP Award Winners Year By Year
A. Yes, there is a MVP award for the most outstanding player of the American League (AL).
A. Two LCS MVP Awards are granted annually, one for the American League Championship Series and one for the National League Championship Series.
A. The first ALCS MVP award was awarded in 1980 to Frank White of the Kansas City Royals.
Yes, several Hall of Fame members have won LCS MVP awards, including Roberto Alomar, George Brett, Dennis Eckersley, Rickey Henderson, Kirby Puckett, and others.
A. The most recent winner of the ALCS MVP Award is Giancarlo Stanton as of 2024.
