NL MVP

We always save the MVP for last here at the card because so much depends on where teams finish in the standings and how those key players carry them down the stretch. So now that we're here on the final day of the season, it's time to dish out the big hardware.

Winner: Albert Pujols

So after all that talk about team play and winning down the stretch, I'm giving the award to a guy who plays for a fourth-place team in his division. Well, there are two types of MVPs: the guy whose play carries his team into the playoffs, and the guy who has one of those epic seasons. In case you haven't noticed, Pujols is having one of those years.

He's batting .356 with a .461 OBP and a Major League best .651 slugging percentage. He's hit 37 HRs and driven in 115 runs. He's hit an additional 43 doubles and scored 100 runs. He's second in the National League with 103 walks and he leads the Majors with 33 intentional walks (Carlos Delgado is in second place with 19). Plus Pujols has played gold-glove caliber first base all season.

There's no weakness in Pujols' game. He hits for power, average and run production. He comes through in the clutch all the time for the Cardinals, and the only real question is why opposing teams EVER decide to pitch to him. Sure he won't be playing in October, but without Pujols, the Cards probably would be 30 games out of the division this year.

The scary part is, this isn't even Pujols' best season in his career. He hit .359 with 43 HRs, 124 RBI, 137 runs scored, and a .667 slugging percentage in 2003. Oh, and he didn't win the MVP that year because a certain chemically-enhanced slugger with an oversized ego (and head) took home the prize.

Runner up - Ryan Howard

The knock on Howard is that he's hitting .25o. But Carlos Delgado is only hitting .271, and the rest of Howard's numbers dwarf the Mets' first baseman's. For my money, I don't particularly care that Howard strikes out or that he doesn't hit enough singles. He doesn't get paid to hit singles, he gets the big bucks to mash the ball out of the yard. And that's all Howard has done, hitting 48 HRs and driving in a league-best 146 runs. You can take your singles, the Phillies will take Howard's home runs, and the division title.