# California League Most Valuable Player Award

The California League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual award given to the best player in minor league baseball's California League. In 1941, John Jorgensen won the first ever California League MVP Award. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the league was known as the Low-A West in 2021 before reverting to the California League name in 2022.
First basemen, with 13 winners, have won the most among infielders, followed by shortstops (7), third basemen (5), and second basemen (4). Ten catchers have also won the award. Seven players who won the award were pitchers. Twenty-eight outfielders have won the MVP Award, the most of any position. Six players played during seasons for which position information is unavailable.
Sixteen players from the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers Major League Baseball (MLB) organization have won the MVP Award, more than any other, followed by the San Diego Padres organization (8); the California/Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants organizations (6); the Minnesota Twins organization (5); the St. Louis Cardinals organization (4); the Colorado Rockies, Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, and Seattle Mariners organization (3); the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays organizations (2); and the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, and New York Mets organizations (1). Six players competed for teams that were unaffiliated with Major League Baseball organizations.

## Key

| * | Indicates multiple award winners in the same year |
| Position | Indicates the player's primary position if known |

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Team | Organization | Position |
| 1941 | Spider Jorgensen | Santa Barbara Saints | Brooklyn Dodgers | Third baseman |
| 1942 | Sal Taormina | San Jose Owls | unaffiliated | Outfielder |
| 1946 | Tommy Glaviano | Fresno Cardinals | St. Louis Cardinals | unknown |
| 1947 | Ed Samcoff | Stockton Ports | unaffiliated | unknown |
| 1949 | Earl Escalante | Bakersfield Indians | Cleveland Indians | Pitcher |
| 1950 | Dick Wilson | Modesto Reds | Pittsburgh Pirates | First baseman |
| 1952 | Larry Jackson | Fresno Cardinals | St. Louis Cardinals | Pitcher |
| 1953 | Tex Clevenger | San Jose Red Sox | Boston Red Sox | Pitcher |
| 1954 | Bob Thorpe | Stockton Ports | Chicago Cubs | Pitcher |
| 1955 | Pumpsie Green | Stockton Ports | unaffiliated | unknown |
| 1956 | Dick Whitman | San Jose JoSox | unaffiliated | unknown |
| 1957 | Vada Pinson | Visalia Redlegs | Cincinnati Redlegs | unknown |
| 1958 | Neil Wilson | Fresno Giants | San Francisco Giants | Catcher |
| 1959 | Willie Davis | Reno Silver Sox | Los Angeles Dodgers | Outfielder |
| 1960 | Robert Arrighi | Reno Silver Sox | Los Angeles Dodgers | Pitcher |
| 1961 | Don Williams | Reno Silver Sox | Los Angeles Dodgers | Shortstop |
| 1962 | William Haas | Reno Silver Sox | Los Angeles Dodgers | First baseman |
| 1963 | José Vidal | Reno Silver Sox | Pittsburgh Pirates | Outfielder |
| 1964 | Ollie Brown | Fresno Giants | San Francisco Giants | Outfielder |
| 1965 | Mike Epstein | Stockton Ports | Baltimore Orioles | First baseman |
| 1966 | Dave Duncan | Modesto Reds | Kansas City Athletics | Catcher |
| 1967 | Leron Lee | Modesto Reds | St. Louis Cardinals | Outfielder |
| 1968 | Ted Simmons | Modesto Reds | St. Louis Cardinals | Catcher |
| 1969 | Junior Kennedy | Stockton Ports | Baltimore Orioles | Shortstop |
| 1970 | Sonny Johnson | Bakersfield Dodgers | Los Angeles Dodgers | Outfielder |
| 1971 | George Theodore | Visalia Mets | New York Mets | Outfielder |
| 1972 | Skip James | Fresno Giants | San Francisco Giants | First baseman |
| 1973 | John Balaz | Salinas Packers | California Angels | Outfielder |
| 1974 | Gary Alexander | Fresno Giants | San Francisco Giants | Catcher |
| 1975 | Gene Richards | Reno Silver Sox | unaffiliated | Outfielder |
| 1976 | Thad Bosley | Salinas Angels | California Angels | Outfielder |
| 1977 | Kelly Snider | Lodi Dodgers | Los Angeles Dodgers | First baseman |
| 1978 | Steve Douglas | Visalia Oaks | Minnesota Twins | Outfielder |
| 1979* | Mike Marshall | Lodi Dodgers | Los Angeles Dodgers | First baseman |
| 1979* | Les Pearsey | Visalia Oaks | Minnesota Twins | Third baseman |
| 1980* | Jaime Cocanower | Stockton Ports | Milwaukee Brewers | Pitcher |
| 1980* | Candy Maldonado | Lodi Dodgers | Los Angeles Dodgers | Outfielder |
| 1981 | Kent Hrbek | Visalia Oaks | Minnesota Twins | First baseman |
| 1982 | Kevin McReynolds | Reno Padres | San Diego Padres | Outfielder |
| 1983 | Stan Holmes | Visalia Oaks | Minnesota Twins | Catcher |
| 1984 | Glenn Braggs | Stockton Ports | Milwaukee Brewers | Outfielder |
| 1985 | Eric Hardgrave | Reno Padres | San Diego Padres | First baseman |
| 1986 | Ty Dabney | Fresno Giants | San Francisco Giants | Third baseman |
| 1987 | Luis Lopez | Bakersfield Dodgers | Los Angeles Dodgers | Catcher |
| 1988 | Paul Faries | Riverside Red Wave | San Diego Padres | Second baseman |
| 1989 | John Jaha | Stockton Ports | Milwaukee Brewers | First baseman |
| 1990 | Frank Bolick | Stockton Ports San Bernardino Spirit | Milwaukee Brewers Seattle Mariners | unknown |
| 1991 | Matt Mieske | High Desert Mavericks | San Diego Padres | unknown |
| 1992 | Marty Cordova | Visalia Oaks | Minnesota Twins | Outfielder |
| 1993 | Tim Clark | High Desert Mavericks | Florida Marlins | Outfielder |
| 1994 | Todd Greene | Lake Elsinore Storm | California Angels | Catcher |
| 1995 | Adam Riggs | San Bernardino Spirit | Los Angeles Dodgers | Second baseman |
| 1996 | D. T. Cromer | Modesto A's | Oakland Athletics | Outfielder |
| 1997 | Mike Stoner | High Desert Mavericks | unaffiliated | Outfielder |
| 1998 | Brad Penny | High Desert Mavericks | Arizona Diamondbacks | Pitcher |
| 1999 | Chin-Feng Chen | San Bernardino Stampede | Los Angeles Dodgers | Outfielder |
| 2000 | Juan Silvestre | Lancaster JetHawks | Seattle Mariners | Outfielder |
| 2001 | Xavier Nady | Lake Elsinore Storm | San Diego Padres | First baseman |
| 2002 | Rocco Baldelli | Bakersfield Blaze | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | Outfielder |
| 2003 | Josh Barfield | Lake Elsinore Storm | San Diego Padres | Second baseman |
| 2004 | Brian Stavisky | Modesto A's | Oakland Athletics | Outfielder |
| 2005 | Brandon Wood | Rancho Cucamonga Quakes | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Shortstop |
| 2006 | Reid Brignac | Visalia Oaks | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | Shortstop |
| 2007 | Bubba Bell | Lancaster JetHawks | Boston Red Sox | Outfielder |
| 2008 | Carlos Santana | Inland Empire 66ers | Los Angeles Dodgers | Catcher |
| 2009 | Alex Liddi | High Desert Mavericks | Seattle Mariners | Third baseman |
| 2010 | Paul Goldschmidt | Visalia Rawhide | Arizona Diamondbacks | First baseman |
| 2011 | Kent Matthes | Modesto Nuts | Colorado Rockies | Outfielder |
| 2012 | Billy Hamilton | Bakersfield Blaze | Cincinnati Reds | Shortstop |
| 2013 | Zach Borenstein | Inland Empire 66ers | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Outfielder |
| 2014 | Corey Seager | Rancho Cucamonga Quakes | Los Angeles Dodgers | Shortstop |
| 2015 | A. J. Reed | Lancaster JetHawks | Houston Astros | First baseman |
| 2016 | Luis Urías | Lake Elsinore Storm | San Diego Padres | Second baseman |
| 2017 | D. J. Peters | Rancho Cucamonga Quakes | Los Angeles Dodgers | Outfielder |
| 2018 | Rylan Bannon | Rancho Cucamonga Quakes | Los Angeles Dodgers | Third baseman |
| 2019* | Luis Campusano | Lake Elsinore Storm | San Diego Padres | Catcher |
| 2019* | Luis Castro | Lancaster JetHawks | Colorado Rockies | First baseman |
| 2020 | None selected (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | None selected (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | None selected (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | None selected (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) |
| 2021 | Luis Matos | San Jose Giants | San Francisco Giants | Outfielder |
| 2022 | Edgar Quero | Inland Empire 66ers | Los Angeles Angels | Catcher |
| 2023 | Ryan Ritter | Fresno Grizzlies | Colorado Rockies | Shortstop |
| 2024 | Lazaro Montes | Modesto Nuts | Seattle Mariners | Outfielder |