Every time in MLB history two MVPs faced off in World Series before Ohtani vs. Judge

Inarguably, the two faces of baseball this year and for years into the foreseeable future are Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, and soon enough they'll be playing against each other in the World Series. Ohtani is the odds-on favorite for NL MVP, lest Francisco Lindor's late-season surge enters to ruin it, and Judge is more indisputably the 2024 AL MVP.

MVP status isn't new to either of these players. Ohtani won it twice with the Angels in 2021 and 2023, with Judge spoiling an Ohtani three-peat with his own win in 2022, his 62 homer season. Lest we forget, the Dodgers also have Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who won in 2018 and 2020 respectively, at the top of LA's order to create a 3-on-1 contest in the World Series this year.

MVPs meeting in the World Series isn't a totally rare occurrence, but that kind of clash between two players who are crowned in the same season has only happened six times in MLB history. Again, there's room for Lindor to spoil it, but we would guess that we'll be seeing another one starting on Friday.

A brief history of MVPs meeting in the World Series, featuring Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge

• 1970: Boog Powell (Orioles) and Johnny Bench (Reds)
• 1975: Fred Lynn (Red Sox) and Joe Morgan (Reds)
• 1976: Thurman Munson (Yankees) and Joe Morgan (Reds)
• 1980: George Brett (Royals) and Mike Schmidt (Phillies)
• 1988: Jose Canseco (A's) and Kirk Gibson (Dodgers)
• 2012: Miguel Cabrera (Tigers) and Buster Posey (Giants)

If Judge and Ohtani do end up taking home MVP awards when the BBWAA reveals their picks in early November, this year's World Series will become the first when two MVPs in the same season met in the Fall Classic since Miguel Cabrera and Buster Posey in 2012.

Cincinnati's Big Red Machine dominated both postseasons and the NL MVP award in the 1970s, with Johnny Bench taking it once in 1970 and Joe Morgan in 1975 and 1976, both years when the Reds won the World Series.

1988 was the last time a future Dodgers MVP played in the World Series against a future AL MVP winner — Jose Canseco of the Athletics vs. Kirk Gibson. That year, the Dodgers won it, four games to one. Orel Hershiser took home the World Series MVP award that year, but Gibson got the top prize for his .290/.377/.483 line, 25 homers, 76 RBI on top of his clubhouse leadership in the regular season. He also hit a pinch-hit walk off homer off Dennis Eckersley, who placed fifth in AL MVP voting that season, in Game 1 of that 1988 World Series.