jondiehl wrote:sportdan30 wrote:Pujols might not win the MVP, but he's showing why he's so incredibly valuable to this Cards team. Another huge homerun when it counted.
I think that's why he's still the favorite for the MVP, despite Howard's lead in HR's and RBI (and it's not like it's a giant lead, 10 more HR's and 10 more 11 more RBI.... Pujols is 2nd in both categories so it's not like he's blowing him away). Pujols hits many many more meaningful HR's and meaningful RBI. Leads the majors in game winning RBI and game winning HR, and his batting average with 2 outs with runners in scoring position is off the charts.
With the Phillies likely not going to make the postseason, I think the last few game winning HR's are going to put Albert over the top with the voters (even though the East coast biased media/ESPN is all over Howard).
The Phils are eliminated from the playoffs, but only because they aren't lucky enough to play in the lowly Central. They're guaranteed to have at least the same record as the Cardinals when the season is over.
August numbers:
Howard - .348, 14 HR, 25 R, 41 RBI, .464 OBP, .750 SLG, 1.214 OPS
Pujols - .315, 6 HR, 24 R, 22 RBI, .379 OBP, .568 SLG, .947 OPS
September numbers:
Howard - .385, 9 HR, 20 R, 19 RBI, .551 OBP, .769 SLG, 1.320 OPS
Pujols - .363, 9 HR, 20 R, 27 RBI, .463 OBP, .676 SLG, 1.139 OPS
Not to mention that Howard walked 24 more times than Pujols during those two months, and has been intentionally walked 31 times in the second half of the season. He's receiving the Bonds treatment.
Voters weigh heavily on how a player plays in the months of August and September, during the playoff push. Thus, the reason Howard won the ROY over Francouer last year. Howard carried a team that was a seller at the trade deadline. A team whose GM declared they wouldn't be ready to contend until 2008. The Cardinals, on the other hand, did everything they could to let the Astros back into the division race.
