Braves' Acuña crowned unanimous NL MVP after historic season
Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after Marcell Ozuna (Not Shown) hit a triple against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on September 30, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Adam Hagy/Getty Images)
SECAUCUS, N.J. - Ronald Acuña Jr. was a unanimous winner of his first National League Most Valuable Player award on Thursday after becoming the first big leaguer with 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a season.
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Otani won the American League honor, becoming the first two-time unanimous MVP. There have been 21 unanimous winners, and this year marked the first time two occurred in the same year.
Acuña, a right fielder for the Atlanta Braves, received all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Mookie Betts received all 30 second-place votes and 270 points, followed by Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Freddie Freeman with 227 points. Betts earned the 2018 AL MVP award with Boston and Freeman was the 2020 NL MVP with the Dodgers.
Acuña was second in the NL with a .336 batting average and led the major leagues with 149 runs, 217 hits, 386 total bases and 73 stolen bases while hitting 41 home runs with 106 RBIs. A four-time All-Star who turns 26 next month, Acuña helped Atlanta to a major league-best 104 wins before the Braves lost to Philadelphia in an NL Division Series.
He set his career best for RBIs and matched his 2019 high for home runs.
Acuña learned of the award while in the clubhouse of La Guaria, his team in Venezuela's winter league.
Betts batted .307 with 39 homers and 107 RBIs, and Freeman hit .331 with 29 homers and 102 RBIs.
The decision was unanimous, something which has not happened since the then-Washington Nationals standout Bryce Harper won in 2015. It has only happened for eight other NL players since 1931. He is also the ninth Braves player to achieve this honor.
Earlier in the day, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the 2025 All-Star Game and the accompanying All-Star Week events were awarded to the Braves.
Here is a list of the NL MVP winners for each year:
x-unanimous
2023 - x-Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta
2022 - Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis
2021 - Bryce Harper, Philadelphia
2020 - Freddie Freeman, Atlanta
2019 - Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles
2018 - Christian Yelich, Milwaukee
2017 - Giancarlo Stanton, Miami
2016 - Kris Bryant, Chicago
2015 - x-Bryce Harper, Washington
2014 - Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles
2013 - Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh
2012 - Buster Posey, San Francisco
2011 - Ryan Braun, Milwaukee
2010 - Joey Votto, Cincinnati
2009 - x-Albert Pujols, St. Louis
2008 - Albert Pujols, St. Louis
2007 - Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia
2006 - Ryan Howard, Philadelphia
2005 - Albert Pujols, St. Louis
2004 - Barry Bonds, San Francisco
2003 - Barry Bonds, San Francisco
2002 - x-Barry Bonds, San Francisco
2001 - Barry Bonds, San Francisco
2000 - Jeff Kent, San Francisco
1999 - Chipper Jones, Atlanta
1998 - Sammy Sosa, Chicago
1997 - Larry Walker, Colorado
1996 - x-Ken Caminiti, San Diego
1995 - Barry Larkin, Cincinnati
1994 - x-Jeff Bagwell, Houston
1993 - Barry Bonds, San Francisco
1992 - Barry Bonds, Pittsburgh
1991 - Terry Pendleton, Atlanta
1990 - Barry Bonds, Pittsburgh
1989 - Kevin Mitchell, San Francisco
1988 - Kirk Gibson, Los Angeles
1987 - Andre Dawson, Chicago
1986 - Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia
1985 - Willie McGee, St. Louis
1984 - Ryne Sandberg, Chicago
1983 - Dale Murphy, Atlanta
1982 - Dale Murphy, Atlanta
1981 - Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia
1980 - x-Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia
1979 - Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh, and Keith Hernandez, St. Louis
1978 - Dave Parker, Pittsburgh
1977 - George Foster, Cincinnati
1976 - Joe Morgan, Cincinnati
1975 - Joe Morgan, Cincinnati
1974 - Steve Garvey, Los Angeles
1973 - Pete Rose, Cincinnati
1972 - Johnny Bench, Cincinnati
1971 - Joe Torre, St. Louis
1970 - Johnny Bench, Cincinnati
1969 - Willie McCovey, San Francisco
1968 - Bob Gibson, St. Louis
1967 - x-Orlando Cepeda, St. Louis
1966 - Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh
1965 - Willie Mays, San Francisco
1964 - Ken Boyer, St. Louis
1963 - Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles
1962 - Maury Wills, Los Angeles
1961 - Frank Robinson, Cincinnati
1960 - Dick Groat, Pittsburgh
1959 - Ernie Banks, Chicago
1958 - Ernie Banks, Chicago
1957 - Hank Aaron, Milwaukee
1956 - Don Newcombe, Brooklyn
1955 - Roy Campanella, Brooklyn
1954 - Willie Mays, New York
1953 - Roy Campanella, Brooklyn
1952 - Hank Sauer, Chicago
1951 - Roy Campanella, Brooklyn
1950 - Jim Konstanty, Philadelphia
1949 - Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn
1948 - Stan Musial, St. Louis
1947 - Bob Elliott, Boston
1946 - Stan Musial, St. Louis
1945 - Phil Cavarretta, Chicago
1944 - Marty Marion, St. Louis
1943 - Stan Musial, St. Louis
1942 - Mort Cooper, St. Louis
1941 - Dolph Camilli, Brooklyn
1940 - Frank McCormick, Cincinnati
1939 - Bucky Walters, Cincinnati
1938 - Ernie Lombardi, Cincinnati
1937 - Joe Medwick, St. Louis
1936 - x-Carl Hubbell, New York
1935 - Gabby Hartnett, Chicago
1934 - Dizzy Dean, St. Louis
1933 - Carl Hubbell, New York
1932 - Chuck Klein, Philadelphia
1931 - Frank Frisch, St. Louis