Which 2026 deadline candidate was named 2013 NLCS MVP for the St. Louis Cardinals?

Michael Wacha was the 2013 NLCS MVP for the St. Louis Cardinals. The rookie right-hander dominated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, making two starts and allowing no runs over 13 innings.

Wacha won Game 2 in St. Louis and then delivered another scoreless outing in the deciding Game 6 at Dodger Stadium. His performance included a memorable duel with Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, helping the Cardinals win the series four games to two and advance to the World Series.

The award was especially notable because Wacha was only 22 and had made his major-league debut earlier in the 2013 season. He was the first rookie to win a postseason series MVP award since Liván Hernández won World Series MVP honors for the Florida Marlins in 1997.

A common mix-up is confusing the NLCS MVP with the World Series MVP. Wacha won the league championship series award; Boston’s David Ortiz won the 2013 World Series MVP.