| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| League | Southern League |
| Awarded for | Regular-season most valuable player of the Southern League |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Southern League |
| History | |
| First award | Mike Reinbach (1972) |
| Most recent | Matt Shaw (2024) |
The Southern League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual award given to the best player in Minor League Baseball's Southern League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers.[1] League broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, and members of the media have previously voted as well.[2] Though the league was established in 1964,[3] the award was not created until 1972.[4] After the cancellation of the 2020 season,[5] the league was known as the Double-A South in 2021 before reverting to the Southern League name in 2022.[6][7]
Twenty-one outfielders have won the MVP Award, the most of any position. First basemen, with 14 winners, have won the most among infielders, followed by third basemen (6) and second basemen and shortstops (2). Eight catchers have also won the award.
Six players from the Tennessee Smokies have been selected for the MVP Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Huntsville Stars and Montgomery Biscuits (5); the Carolina Mudcats, Columbus Mudcats, and Memphis Chicks (4); the Birmingham Barons, Chattanooga Lookouts, Jackson Generals, and Jacksonville Suns (3); the Biloxi Shuckers, Greenville Braves, Mobile BayBears, and Nashville Sounds (2); and the Asheville Orioles, Charlotte O's, Mississippi Braves, Montgomery Rebels, and Orlando Twins (1).
Six players from the Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball (MLB) organization have won the award, more than any other, followed by the Tampa Bay Rays organization (5); the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers organizations (4); the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, and Oakland Athletics organizations (3); the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, and Washington Nationals organizations (2); and the Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners organizations (1).