While the 2025 Baltimore Orioles did not have an award front-runner, we wanted to turn the clock to a time that an Orioles team took over the AL MVP voting.
This year consisted of the Birds having the top three vote-getters of that season, a unanimous MVP winner and five players in the top 11 vote-getters. Of course, we’re talking about the 1966 World Series Championship season.
Let’s take a look back at the six players who received votes that year and the campaigns they ran.
Winner: Frank Robinson – 280 Vote Points, 20 1st Place
Frank Robinson was the winner of the 1966 AL MVP honors in his first season with the Orioles after being dealt by the Cincinnati Reds in December of 1965.
Robinson had an incredible season, winning the Triple Crown by leading the league in average (.316), home runs (49) and RBIs (122). He was also one of two players in both leagues, alongside Dick Allen, to have an OPS over 1.000 (1.047).
Robinson was by far the best hitter of the 1966 season, and the voters thought so as well. He would be the first unanimous AL MVP since the 1956 season, when New York Yankees outfielder Mickey Mantle had his iconic 52-homer campaign.
The National Baseball Hall of Famer would join an elite club that year, as he would also win the World Series MVP that same season. Only four other players have accomplished that feat (Sandy Koufax – 1963, Reggie Jackson – 1973, Willie Stargell – 1979, Mike Schmidt – 1980).
Second Place: Brooks Robinson – 153 Vote Points
Arguably the best third baseman in history, Brooks Robinson wasn’t even the best Robinson on his own team in 1966.
Robinson had a down season compared to the two previous, which included his 1964 AL MVP season. In 1966, he slashed .269/.333/.444 with a .776 OPS and totaled 167 hits, 35 doubles and 23 home runs.
Robinson’s defense in 1966 was stellar. The 16-time Gold Glover made 313 assists, which led the league, had a .976 fielding percentage and made just 12 errors.
We all know Robinson is undoubtedly the greatest defensive third baseman in history, and those skills helped him and the Orioles win 97 regular season games in 1966.
Third Place: Boog Powell – 122 Vote Points
The final Oriole who finished top three in the MVP voting is another player who would win an MVP later in their career.
Boog Powell slashed .287/.372/.532 with a .903 OPS while collecting 141 hits, 18 doubles, 34 home runs and 109 RBIs in 140 games.
Powell was an All-Star snub that season, despite finishing top three in MVP voting. The big first baseman lost the job to Boston Red Sox rookie George Scott, despite Powell beating him in almost every counting stat.
Powell would also lose the reserve spot to Detroit Tigers first baseman Norm Cash, who had a better second half than first. Powell would not become a first-time All-Star until the 1968 season, which was a significantly worse season for him than 1966 and 1964.
Ninth Place: Luis Aparicio – 51 Vote Points
People sometimes forget that in between two stints with the Chicago White Sox, Luis Aparicio played five seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.
Aparicio, in 1966, was 32 years old, meaning his speed declined, as he was not stealing 50+ bases like he did from 1959-1961. He did, however, collect a career-high 182 hits in 1966, with 25 doubles, eight triples and 41 RBIs.
Aparicio would earn his sixth Gold Glove at the time, as he would add two more later in his career. He was also a top 10 MVP vote-getter who wasn’t an All-Star that season.
11th place: Stu Miller – 27 Vote Points
Stu Miller was one of the most underrated Oriole arms, putting together four impeccable seasons with the Birds. This includes a 1965 season when as a 37-year-old, Miller posted a 1.89 ERA over 119.1 innings and finished ninth in MVP voting as a reliever.
Miller in 1966, though, pitched to a 2.25 ERA in 51 games, including finishing 33 of them. He converted 18 saves, pitched 92 total innings, walked just 22 batters and struck out 67.
Miller was 38 years old and was dominant out of the bullpen, something we have not really seen in today’s game outside of Aroldis Chapman as a 37-year-old with Boston in 2025.
17th place: Andy Etchebarren – 7 Vote Points
Signed before the 1961 season, Andy Etchebarren had his first full season in 1966, and it was his most successful.
Etch slashed .221/.293/.364 with a .657 OPS. He totaled 91 hits, 14 doubles (career-high), 11 home runs (career-high) and 50 RBIs (career-high).
Etchebarren’s glove was legit, as he was a part of seven double plays and tallied 65 assists from behind the plate that season.
What are your thoughts on the impressive 1966 season for the Orioles? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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