Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award


The Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the Japan Series, which is the final round of the Nippon Professional Baseball postseason. The award was first presented in 1950.
The series follows a best-of-seven playoff format and occurs after the two-stage Climax Series. It is played by the winners of the Central League Stage 2 series and the Pacific League Stage 2 series. The most recent champions are the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who won the 2018 series, and their catcher Takuya Kai the current holder of the award.
Kaoru Betto won the inaugural award in 1950 with the Mainichi Orions. Depending upon definitions, the first non-Japanese to win the award was either Andy Miyamoto in 1961 or Joe Stanka in 1964. Fifteen Japan Series MVPs were inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame; Osamu Higashio is the only Hall of Famer to have won the Japan Series MVP between 1981 and 2000. Higashio is also the first and only pitcher to appear solely as a reliever to win the Japan Series MVP. Eight of the ten Japan Series MVPs who have won the award since 2000 are still active in professional baseball—Atsuya Furuta and Takashi Ishii are the Japan Series MVPs from that period who are inactive. Hideki Matsui and Norihiro Nakamura are they only two Japan Series MVPs to play in Major League Baseball. While Nakamura's MLB career lasted less than one season, Matsui's lasted seven seasons. He became the only player to be named both a Japan Series and a World Series MVP after winning the latter award in 2009. The reigning Japan Series MVP is Brandon Laird of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Sixteen of the 60 Japan Series MVPs have also won the NPB MVP or the Eiji Sawamura Award in the same season. Shigeru Sugishita, Tsuneo Horiuchi and Takehiro Ishii are the only players to have won all three awards in the same season. Two players won the Eiji Sawamura Award and the Japan Series MVP in the same season: Takehiko Bessho and Takashi Nishimoto. Ten players have won the Japan Series MVP in the same season in which they won the NPB MVP: Betto, Bessho, Kazuhisa Inao, Tadashi Sugiura, Shigeo Nagashima, Stanka, Hisashi Yamada, Randy Bass, Tom O'Malley, Furuta and Matsui.
Five players have won the award multiple times. Nagashima has won the most Japan Series MVP awards with four wins. The remaining four players all won the award twice: Bessho, Horiuchi, Kimiyasu Kudoh, Koji Akiyama and Furuta ; Akiyama is the only player to have won the award with different teams. There has been one occasion on which multiple winners were awarded in the same Japan Series: Masayuki Dobashi and Masayuki Tanemo in 1962.
Pitchers have been named Series MVP 21 times, 13 of which appeared in both starting and relief roles in the Series.

Winners

YearPlayerTeamPositionSelected statisticsNote
1950Mainichi OrionsOutfielder
1951Yomiuri GiantsOutfielder
  • .563 batting average
  • 9 hits
  • 4 runs batted in
    • 1952Yomiuri GiantsPitcher
  • 3–0 record in 3 appearances
  • 4 earned runs allowed in 22 innings pitched
  • 10 strikeouts
    • 1953Yomiuri GiantsFirst baseman
  • .556 batting average
  • 15 hits
  • 5 runs batted in
    • 1954Chunichi DragonsPitcher
  • 3–1 record in 5 appearances
  • 6 earned runs allowed in 38 innings pitched
  • 28 strikeouts
    • 1955 Yomiuri GiantsPitcher
  • 3–1 record in 5 appearances ; 2 complete games
  • 4 earned runs allowed in 30 innings pitched
  • 9 strikeouts
    • 1956Nishitetsu LionsShortstop
  • .458 batting average
  • 11 hits
  • 4 runs batted in
    • 1957Nishitetsu LionsOutfielder
  • .389 batting average
  • 7 hits
  • 3 runs batted in
    • 1958Nishitetsu LionsPitcher
  • 4–2 record in 6 appearances ; 4 complete games
  • 8 earned runs allowed in 47 innings pitched
  • 32 strikeouts
    • 1959Nankai HawksPitcher
  • 4–0 record in 4 appearances ; 2 complete games
  • 5 earned runs allowed in 32 innings pitched
  • 20 strikeouts
    • 1960Taiyō WhalesSecond baseman
  • .200 batting average
  • 3 hits
  • 2 runs batted in
    • 1961Yomiuri GiantsOutfielder
  • .409 batting average
  • 9 hits
  • 7 runs batted in
    • 1962Toei FlyersPitcher
  • 2–1 record in 6 appearances
  • 4 earned runs allowed in 20 innings pitched
  • 12 strikeouts
    • 1962Toei FlyersCatcher
  • .357 batting average
  • 5 hits
  • 5 runs batted in
    • 1963Yomiuri GiantsThird baseman
  • .360 batting average
  • 3 home runs
  • 7 runs batted in
    • 1964Nankai HawksStarting pitcher
  • 3–1 record in 4 games started; 3 complete games
  • 4 earned runs allowed in 29 innings pitched
  • 21 strikeouts
    • 1965 Yomiuri GiantsThird baseman
  • .381 batting average
  • 8 hits
  • 6 runs batted in
    • 1966Yomiuri GiantsOutfielder
  • .565 batting average
  • 13 hits
  • 7 runs batted in
    • 1967Yomiuri GiantsCatcher
  • .273 batting average
  • 6 hits
  • 4 runs batted in
    • 1968Yomiuri GiantsOutfielder
  • .385 batting average
  • 10 hits
  • 8 runs
    • 1969 Yomiuri GiantsThird baseman
  • .409 batting average
  • 4 home runs
  • 6 runs batted in
    • 1970 Yomiuri GiantsThird baseman
  • .421 batting average
  • 4 home runs
  • 6 runs batted in
    • 1971Yomiuri GiantsOutfielder
  • .368 batting average
  • 7 hits
  • 7 runs
    • 1972Yomiuri GiantsPitcher
  • 2–1 record in 4 appearances ; 1 complete game
  • 7 earned runs allowed in 16 innings pitched
  • 11 strikeouts
    • 1973 Yomiuri GiantsPitcher
  • 2–0 record in 3 appearances
  • 2 earned runs allowed in 16 innings pitched
  • 10 strikeouts
    • 1974Lotte OrionsOutfielder
  • .400 batting average
  • 10 hits
  • 7 runs batted in
    • 1975Hankyu BravesPitcher
  • 1–0 record and 2 saves in 6 appearances
  • 6 earned runs allowed in 24 innings pitched
  • 21 strikeouts
    • 1976Hankyu BravesOutfielder
  • .407 batting average
  • 11 hits
  • 6 runs batted in
    • 1977Hankyu BravesPitcher
  • 2–0 record and 1 save in 3 appearances
  • 3 earned runs allowed in 15 innings pitched
  • 10 strikeouts
    • 1978Yakult SwallowsFirst baseman
  • .310 batting average
  • 4 Home runs
  • 10 runs batted in
    • 1979Hiroshima Toyo CarpShortstop
  • .444 batting average
  • 12 hits
  • 2 runs batted in
    • 1980Hiroshima Toyo CarpOutfielder
  • .400 batting average
  • 3 Home runs
  • 6 runs batted in
    • 1981Yomiuri GiantsStarting pitcher
  • 2–0 record in 2 complete game starts
  • 1 earned run allowed in 18 innings pitched
  • 14 strikeouts
    • 1982Seibu LionsRelief pitcher
  • 2–1 record and 1 save in 4 appearances
  • 0 earned runs allowed in 13 innings pitched
  • 6 strikeouts
    • 1983Seibu LionsOutfielder
  • .429 batting average
  • 12 hits
  • 3 runs batted in
    • 1984Hiroshima Toyo CarpOutfielder
  • .333 batting average
  • 3 Home runs
  • 10 runs batted in
    • 1985Hanshin TigersFirst baseman
  • .368 batting average
  • 3 Home runs
  • 9 runs batted in
    • 1986Seibu LionsPitcher
  • 1–1 record and 2 saves in 4 appearances
  • 2 earned runs allowed in 15 innings pitched
  • 17 strikeouts
    • 1987 Seibu LionsPitcher
  • 2–0 record and 1 save in 3 appearances
  • 1 earned runs allowed in 18 innings pitched
  • 13 strikeouts
    • 1988Seibu LionsShortstop
  • .389 batting average
  • 3 Home runs
  • 6 runs batted in
    • 1989Yomiuri GiantsFirst baseman
  • .522 batting average
  • 12 hits
  • 5 runs batted in
    • 1990Seibu LionsFirst baseman
  • .375 batting average
  • 6 hits
  • 8 runs batted in
    • 1991Seibu LionsOutfielder
  • .276 batting average
  • 4 Home runs
  • 8 runs batted in
    • 1992Seibu LionsStarting pitcher
  • 2–0 record in 2 complete game starts
  • 1 earned runs allowed in 19 innings pitched
  • 18 strikeouts
    • 1993Yakult SwallowsStarting pitcher
  • 2–0 record in 2 games started
  • 2 earned runs allowed in 15 innings pitched
  • 12 strikeouts
    • 1994Yomiuri GiantsStarting pitcher
  • 2–0 record in 2 complete game starts
  • 1 earned runs allowed in 18 innings pitched
  • 16 strikeouts
    • 1995Yakult SwallowsFirst baseman
  • .529 batting average
  • 9 hits
  • 4 runs batted in
    • 1996Orix BlueWaveInfielder
  • .176 batting average
  • 3 hits
  • 6 runs batted in
    • 1997Yakult SwallowsCatcher
  • .316 batting average
  • 6 hits
  • 3 runs batted in
    • 1998Yokohama BayStarsOutfielder
  • .480 batting average
  • 12 hits
  • 8 runs batted in
    • 1999 Fukuoka Daiei HawksOutfielder
  • .300 batting average
  • 6 hits
  • 2 Home runs
    • 2000Yomiuri GiantsOutfielder
  • .381 batting average
  • 3 Home runs
  • 8 runs batted in
    • 2001 Yakult SwallowsCatcher
  • .500 batting average
  • 7 hits
  • 3 runs batted in
    • 2002Yomiuri GiantsShortstop
  • .474 batting average
  • 9 hits
  • 5 runs batted in
    • 2003Fukuoka Daiei HawksStarting pitcher
  • 2–0 record in 2 games started
  • 1 earned runs allowed in 15 innings pitched
  • 9 strikeouts
    • 2004Seibu LionsStarting pitcher
  • 2–0 record in 2 games started
  • 0 earned runs allowed in 13 innings pitched
  • 8 strikeouts
    • 2005Chiba Lotte MarinesThird baseman
  • .667 batting average
  • 10 hits
  • 4 runs batted in
    • 2006Hokkaido Nippon-Ham FightersOutfielder
  • .353 batting average
  • 6 hits
  • 7 runs batted in
    • 2007Chunichi DragonsThird baseman
  • .444 batting average
  • 8 hits
  • 4 runs batted in
    • 2008Saitama Seibu LionsPitcher
  • 2–0 record in 2 appearances
  • 0 earned runs allowed in 14 innings pitched
  • 16 strikeouts
    • 2009Yomiuri GiantsCatcher
  • .304 batting average
  • 7 hits
  • 5 runs batted in
    • 2010 Chiba Lotte MarinesThird baseman--
    2011Fukuoka SoftBank HawksFirst baseman--
    2012Yomiuri GiantsStarting pitcher--
    2013Tohoku Rakuten Golden EaglesStarting pitcher--
    2014Fukuoka SoftBank HawksOutfielder--
    2015Fukuoka SoftBank HawksFirst baseman
    2016Hokkaido Nippon-Ham FightersThird baseman
    2017Fukuoka SoftBank HawksPitcher
    2018Fukuoka SoftBank HawksCatcher
    2019Fukuoka SoftBank HawksOutfielder.375 average, three home runs, six RBIs