Youngest to win MLB MVP
Vida Blue would start pitching in the majors at 20 in 1969; he struggled with a 6.64 ERA over 42 innings that season. However, his next season was much better, with a 2.09 ERA over 38.2 innings. His third season would be the best in his career, with a 1.82 ERA over 312 innings. That season was so good that he won both the Cy Young and the MVP awards. That 1971 season would make Vida the youngest player to win the MVP.
References
-
Vida Blue becomes the youngest player ever to win the MVP award.
On November 17, 1971 — Vida Blue becomes the youngest player ever to win the MVP award.
This Day In Baseball
-
Thursday Throwback: Oakland Athletics Starter Vida Blue was the Youngest Pitcher to Throw a No-Hitter and the Youngest Player to Win an MVP Award
In 1971, Blue and his signature blistering fastball known as the “Blue Blazer” took the league by storm. Unlike many southpaws, Blue worked fast and pounded the strike zone with speeds close to 100 MPH. To keep opposing hitters off-balance, he also possessed a curveball that he threw on occasion, and an above average change-up.
White Cleat Beat
