Choice for MVP award between Ohtani, Judge not an easy one

TOKYO — The MVP award in Major League Baseball was created to  honor “the baseball player who is of the greatest all-around service to his club.” It is chosen annually by the Baseball Writers Association of America and writers are given the following guidelines before they cast their votes — as delineated by the secretary-treasurer for the BBWAA in an NBC News article in 2011.

“There is no clear-cut definition of what Most Valuable means. It is up to the individual voter to decide who was the Most Valuable Player in each league to his team. The MVP need not come from a division winner or other playoff qualifier.

“The rules of the voting remain the same as they were written on the first ballot in 1931: (1) actual value of a player to his team, that is, strength of offense and defense; (2) number of games played; (3) general character, disposition, loyalty and effort; (4) former winners are eligible; and (5) members of the committee may vote for more than one member of a team.”