On November 15, 2004, Barry Bonds claimed his record seventh National League Most Valuable Player award. He also became the oldest player ever to win the honour, surpassing Willie Stargell’s co-win at age 39. The vote cemented a run of four consecutive MVPs, a streak no other player in either league has come close to matching.
A season of numbers that rewrote the record books
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America placed Bonds first on 24 of 32 ballots. He amassed 407 points, clearing the runner-up, Adrian Beltre of the Dodgers, by a decisive 96-point margin. Bonds, Beltre and Albert Pujols were the only three players named on every single ballot.
His 2004 line was staggering even by his own standards. He won his second batting title at .362 and became the first man in history to finish with an on-base percentage above .600, shattering his own 2002 mark.
The case on the field, amid growing scrutiny
The season unfolded in the shadow of the BALCO investigation, a period described as one of suspicion and success. Yet on the diamond, Bonds’ eye was untouchable. He drew 232 walks—120 of them intentional—while scoring 129 runs and driving in 101.
He slugged 45 home runs, pushing his career total to 703. That placed him behind only Babe Ruth and Henry Aaron on the all-time list. Beltre, the league’s strongest challenger, tied Mike Schmidt’s third-baseman record with 48 homers and received six first-place votes, but could not close the gap.
A run without parallel
The four straight titles, from 2001 through 2004, stood alone in the sport’s history. Before this stretch, no player had won the award more than three times total or more than two years consecutively. The Giants also became the first franchise to win five successive MVPs, factoring in Jeff Kent’s 2000 trophy.
“I think they’re all overwhelming,” Bonds told reporters afterwards. “You almost get lost for words, the kind of things that are being accomplished in my career.” He was 40 years old and still reshaping the record book.
The vote arrived weeks after a season that had pushed baseball’s statistical boundaries into new territory, leaving a tally that no rival could contest.