Albert Pujols claimed 18 of the 32 first placed votes and was named the National League's Most Valuable Player on Monday.  The Cardinals' first baseman had a year worthy of recogintion - .357 BA, .462 OBP, .653 SLG, 37 HR, 116 RBI, and 100 runs scored in 148 games. Still, can the player be that valuable when their team doesn't even make the playoffs? In fact, the Cardinals finished in fourth place in their own division. 

Pujos was still the RIGHT choice and the MVP to be named that did not make the playoffs since Andre Dawson did so as a Cub in 1987.

Ryan Howard finished second with 12 first-place votes, but when you consider that Pujols is a better fielder and runner and get down the core statistics it's not even close...

            AVG    OBP    SLG
Pujols     .357   .462   .653
Howard     .251   .339   .543     

Where Pujols' ranked:

• 1st in NL in SLG (.653)
• 1st in NL in OPS (1.114)
• 2nd in NL in AVG (.357)
• 2nd in NL in OBP (.462)
• 2nd in NL in BB (104)
• 4th in NL in RBI (116)
• 4th in NL in HR (37)

Where Howard ranked:

• 1st in NL in HR (48)
• 1st in NL in RBI (146)
• 6th in NL in SLG (.543)
• 9th in NL in R (105)

--Pujols was clearly a better all-around player. Howard was huge in leading his team to the playoffs, but where was he at in April and May?

MLB nl mvp, cardinals, phillies, albert pujols, ryan howard, andre dawson