Who both succeeded and preceded Ken Griffey, Jr.'s AL MVP win?

Juan González both preceded and succeeded Ken Griffey Jr. as American League MVP, winning in 1996 and 1998 around Griffey’s 1997 award.

González won his first MVP with the Texas Rangers in 1996 after hitting .314 with 47 home runs and 144 runs batted in. Griffey then captured the 1997 MVP with Seattle, leading the American League with 56 homers and 147 RBIs.

González reclaimed the award in 1998, batting .318 with 45 home runs and a league-leading 157 RBIs. His two MVP seasons came during the Rangers’ rise as a powerful American League team, while Griffey’s award recognized one of the finest offensive and defensive seasons of his Seattle career.

A common mix-up is confusing MVP award years with the seasons in which the awards were announced. The sequence is based on the playing seasons: González in 1996, Griffey in 1997, and González again in 1998.