Bagwell named NL MVP after strike-shortened season
Under almost any other circumstances, Jeff Bagwell might have been a long shot for the 1994 National League MVP Award.
But for Bagwell, that didn’t cause the honor to lose any of its luster.
The Houston Astros first baseman was named the unanimous MVP Award winner on Oct. 27, 1994, following a strike-shortened season.
After the players went on strike on Aug. 12, the season never resumed, and as a result, the 1994 World Series was canceled.
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Just two days prior to the strike, on Aug. 10, Bagwell broke a bone in his left hand when he was hit by a pitch. The injury was expected to sideline him for three to five weeks, greatly reducing his chances to win the NL’s top award.
But when the strike put a premature end to the season, Bagwell was the clear frontrunner. Leading up to the day he was injured, Bagwell had recorded a hit in 18 consecutive games. He led the league with 116 RBI, a .750 slugging percentage, 300 total bases and 104 runs scored. His .368 average was second only to Tony Gwynn’s .394 in the race for the batting title, while his 39 homers ranked second in the NL behind Giants third baseman Matt Williams’ 43.
Some argued that Bagwell wouldn’t have won the award if not for the strike. Bagwell disagreed.
“That’s a valid point, but I’d like to think I’d have played the last month with a chance to help us win the pennant,” Bagwell told the Hartford Courant. “Either way, I think I’d have come out a winner.”
Bagwell, then 26 years old and in his fourth major league season, celebrated his accomplishment.
But his immediate concern was how he could ever match up to the performance he’d put forth in his MVP season.
“People always said I was a guy who might hit 25-30 home runs,” Bagwell told the Los Angeles Times. “I hit 39. That’s a little scary to me. I feel I played as well as I can, which makes next year a real test for me. We’re going to find out how good I really am.”
Though 1994 would be his only MVP season, Bagwell didn’t need to worry too much about living up to expectations. In his 11 remaining seasons, he would match or exceed his 39-homer total five times.
Over his 15-year MLB career, spent entirely with the Astros, Bagwell posted a .297 batting average along with 1,529 RBI and 449 home runs, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
Janey Murray was the digital content specialist at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
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