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The South Dakota American Legion Player of the Year began in 1951, and is voted on by the State Legion Athletic Commission. It was awarded to a player from the A-B State Championship Series from 1951-1969, then beginning in 1970, it was awarded to a player from both the "A" and "B" tournaments.
| YEAR | "A" PLAYER OF THE YEAR | "B" PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
| 2002 | Andrew Shepherd - IF - Rapid City Post 22 | Pat Krause - IF - Milbank |
| 2001 | Greg Geary - 1B - Rapid City Post 22 | Trey Flicks - OF - Groton |
| 2000 | Brad Hunt - P/IF - Rapid City Post 22 | Jay Merrigan - CF - Vermillion |
| 1999 | Josh DeJong - P/2B - Mitchell | James Gordon - UTILITY - Scotland |
| 1998 | Rusty Remmers - OF - Watertown | Jay Merrigan - CF - Vermillion |
| 1997 | Kris Garry - CF - Sioux Falls | Landon Jacobsen - P/SS - Brandon |
| 1996 | Luke Wheeler - 3B - Rapid City | Dallas Schneiderman - P/SS - Brandon |
| 1995 | Mark Ellis - SS - Rapid City | Scott Johnson - P/1B - Flandreau |
| 1994 | Mark Ellis - SS - Rapid City | Ryan Gordon - P/C - Salem |
| 1993 | Ryan Merritt - LF - Rapid City | Jeremy Hinker - P/1B/OF - Howard |
| 1992 | Dan Conrad - C - Sioux Falls | Lee Fischer - P/OF - Wessington Springs |
| 1991 | Kyla Yamada - SS - Rapid City | Nick Johannsen - P/OF - Miller |
| 1990 | Ryan Krogman - P/SS - Brookings | Peter Wilson - P/IF - Canton |
| 1989 | Mike Lorang - P/CF - Sioux Falls | Doug Sehr - P - Canton |
| 1988 | John Legel - SS - Sioux Falls | Donny Godel - SS - Winner |
| 1987 | Shawn Muffat - OF - Rapid City | Gary Kortan - P/SS - Tabor |
| 1986 | Marty Andrews - C/P - Rapid City | Rob Stack - P/SS - Tabor |
| 1985 | Steve Ramharter - CF/P - Sioux Falls | Steve Fejar - C/P - Tabor |
| 1984 | Todd Miller - 2B - Aberdeen | Eric Larson - OF - Groton |
| 1983 | Mike Erbele - C - Rapid City | Dennis Putzier - C - Colton |
| 1982 | Burt Beattie - P/SS - Aberdeen | Gene Lorenz - P/SS - Clark |
| 1981 | Kent Torve - P/3B - Rapid City | Bruce Mogen - P/1B - Mobridge |
| 1980 | Roger Lewis - P - Rapid City | Kevin Hofer - C - Scotland |
| 1979 | Steve Wolff - SS - Rapid City | Brett Neuman - C - Groton |
| 1978 | Bud Bartholow - OF/C/P - Rapid City | Rich Zimney - P/OF - Groton |
| 1977 | Jim Hendrickson - OF - Rapid City | Brooks Gehring - P/1B - Parkston |
| 1976 | Rich Downs - C - Rapid City | Ron Westby - P/SS - Groton |
| 1975 | LeRoy Weimer - C - Rapid City | Ron Hoffman - P/1B - Colton |
| 1974 | Craig Soderquist - 1B - Rapid City | Krik Carr - SS/P - Orient/Faulkton |
| 1973 | Joe Ewing - OF/P - Rapid City | Joe Walter - OF/P - Howard |
| 1972 | Bill Ewing - 2B/P - Rapid City | Tom Maxwell - P/IF - Parkston |
| 1971 | Dave Collins - 1B - Rapid City | Ron Weidler - P/OF - Howard |
| 1970 | Terry Danielson - C - Rapid City | Larry Keeton - P/OF - Wessington Springs |
| YEAR | PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
| 1969 | Cliff Anderson - P/C/1B - Dell Rapids |
| 1968 | Greg Stanczyk - OF - Rapid City |
| 1967 | David Lee Bauer - P/SS - Eureka |
| 1966 | Raymond L. Johnson - P/SS - Canton |
| 1965 | James Moreland - 3B - Sioux Falls |
| 1964 | James Geaghan - SS - Gregory |
| 1963 | Erin Peterson - 2B - Rapid City |
| 1962 | Robert Dorn - C - Chamberlain |
| 1961 | Gene Thedorff - P - Huron |
| 1960 | Wally Johnson - SS/P - Aberdeen |
| 1959 | Jerry Crider - P - Sioux Falls |
| 1958 | John Beisner - C - Rapid City |
| 1957 | Lew Mavity - SS - Sioux Falls |
| 1956 | Roger Hackett - P - Aberdeen |
| 1955 | Kermit Kidner - P/1B - Rapid City |
| 1954 | Mike Braun - P - Flandreau |
| 1953 | Marvin "Mike" Poppens - P - Lennox |
| 1952 | Ronald Peterson - C - Sioux Falls Lyle Dahme - P - Aberdeen |
| 1951 | Joe Belak - P - Gregory |