Albert Pujols won his second straight National League MVP Tuesday, a unanimous selection of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Pujols is just the sixth player in National League history to win the award unanimously , and the first since Barry Bonds, who swept the honors in 2002. He is also the 12th player in either league to win the award in consecutive seasons. Bonds was also the last player to accomplish that feat, winning MVP in four straight seasons from 2001-04.
It is the third time Pujols has won the award -- he also won in 2005 -- and he has finished in the top five in the MVP voting in every year of his career except one, 2007, when he finished ninth.
The three MVPs ties Pujols with Alex Rodriguez for the lead among active players and ties him with Rodriguez and seven others for the second most all-time. Bonds holds the record, with seven career MVP awards.
Pujols was his usual historically productive self in 2009 as he led the Cardinals to their first NL Central title since 2006. He was first in the senior circuit in OPS and slugging for the third time in the last four seasons. He also led the league in on-base percentage for the first time ever and was tops in home runs (47), runs (124), extra-base hits (93) and total bases (374). He was also in the top three in the league in batting average, games played, doubles, walks and RBI.
Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez was the runner-up to Pujols, garnering 15 of 32 second-place votes. It's the first time he has finished higher than 10th in the voting. Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who beat out Pujols in a tight race to win the 2006 NL MVP, was third in the voting, followed by Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder and Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.
Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier, Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, and Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp rounded out the top 10.
This is the 17th time a Cardinals player has been honored, putting St. Louis behind only the Yankees for the most by one team.
| How They Voted |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voting for 2009 NL MVP (14 points for first-place vote, nine for second, eight for third on down to one for 10th): | |||||||||||
| Player, Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | Pts |
| Albert Pujols, Cardinals |
32 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
448 |
| Hanley Ramirez, Marlins |
15 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
233 |
|
| Ryan Howard, Phillies |
6 |
8 |
7 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
217 |
|
| Prince Fielder, Brewers |
5 |
9 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
|
3 |
1 |
3 |
203 |
|
| Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies |
3 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
|
172 |
||
| Andre Ethier, Dodgers |
2 |
|
3 |
2 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
|
113 |
|
| Pablo Sandoval, Giants |
|
1 |
|
2 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
4 |
89 |
|
| Chase Utley, Phillies |
|
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
|
3 |
1 |
84 |
|
| Derrek Lee, Cubs |
1 |
|
|
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
|
66 |
|
| Matt Kemp, Dodgers |
|
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
49 |
|
| Ryan Braun, Brewers |
|
|
|
3 |
1 |
|
2 |
4 |
6 |
43 |
|
| Adrian Gonzalez, Padres |
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
3 |
2 |
5 |
30 |
|
| Todd Helton, Rockies |
|
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
|
28 |
|
| Chris Carpenter, Cardinals |
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
25 |
|
| Adam Wainwright, Cardinals |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
16 |
|
| Matt Holliday, Cardinals |
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
2 |
|
15 |
|
| Jayson Werth, Phillies |
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
| Shane Victorino, Phillies |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
| Tim Lincecum, Giants |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
8 |
|
| Yunel Escobar |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
|
| Mark Reynolds, D'backs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
|
| Joey Votto, Reds |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
| Yadier Molina, Cardinals |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
3 |
|
| Miguel Tejada, Astros |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
3 |
|
| Huston Street, Rockies |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
2 |
|
| Justin Upton, D'backs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
2 |
|
| Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
|
| Jeremy Affeldt, Giants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
| Chris Coghlan, Marlins |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
| Brad Hawpe, Rockies |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
hmmm let's see lead your team to the world series and finish 3rd nah the writers aren't a little bias when it comes to PHILADELPHIA
you know just because you lead a team to the play off doesn't make you MVP Albert did lead his team to a central division championship... Albeer didn't get MVP in 2006 when his team won the world Series
When you are the best, you should be rewarded. Congratulations Albert Pujols.
Congrats to Albert!!! Well deserved(again). At least they didn't screw you over like they did to Wainwright & Carpenter, who, I see, got more MVP votes than Linecum,which is too little too late!!!!
seriously, Howard didn't win? LOL
Pujols had a much higher batting average than Howard...much lower strike out ratio and more homeruns...do your math
Bonds would only have 3 MVPs too if not for something called Steroids. Good job Albert.
Congrats to one of the best hitters in baseball history.
If Albert Pujols played an "entire" season (missed parts of last 3), he probably would deserve the MVP. Howard helped lead the Phillies to 2nd consecutive WS and is overlooked again !
Two things:
1. Pujols and Howard both played in 160 games.
2. It's a regular season award. Voters cast their ballots at the conclusion of the regular season -- BEFORE the postseason is played. The league just doesn't reveal them until now.
Anyone who doesn't think Albert Pujols is the best player in the game needs to check their reasoning. There are many things that are debatable, but Pujols being the best player of the decade and 100% of the unanimous MVP isn't one of them. If you think Howard should be ahead of him, you're just wrong. It isn't even an opinion at this point. You're just wrong.
I would have to believe that Mariano Rivera also ranks highly-while he has never won an MVP (impossible for a reliver he is the reason why the Yankees have been a post-season force since 1995 and he is probably solely responsible for them winning three of their 5 WS since 1996.
I've been a 55 year Yankee fan and after that an overall baseball fan. I've seen so many terrific ballplayers. Albert is flat out the best.
Ryan Howard is a slugger . Pujols is a hitter!
Compare all their stats. Pujols usually hits for about 50 points higher average. Howard will strike out more in 1 year than Pujols does in 4 seasons.
That's not true - it's only three seasons.
Howard isn't even the most valuable player in Philadelphia - Chase Utley is a truly great player.
Even if it counts the postseason, Howard didn't exactly have a good World Series. You would have to be crazy to say Howard is as good as Pujols either offensively or defensively.
Howard can be completely negated by putting in a lefty reliever-for Pujols you're better off giving him first base to get by his slot in the lineup
The greatest all around player in the history of baseball next to Stan Musial
Some statement -- the best all around player EVER next to Musial? You are smoking something man.
Musial, also known as Stan the Man, was very very good, probably the best position player that ever played for the Cardinals. He could do it all.
But, he is not Williams, DiMaggio, Mays, Aaron, Mantle,Foxx, Gehrig, Ruth or another ten or more hall of famers not mentioned, such as Clemente, Snyder,Greenberg, Berra, Dickey,etc.
Musial was special, so is Pujols special; just not the best that EVER played the game.
It is ridiculous to make that statement!!!
With respect to Tony, Stan Musial had more hits than all of them, a higher average than most of them, out-homered Dimaggio, Greenberg, Snyder, Dickey, and Berra, and was a 24-time All-Star. By modern statistical analysis, he is the 10th greatest player ever, according to Bill James' sabremetrics. He is 5th all-time in the Black Ink Test, 3rd all time in the Gray Ink Test, tied for 2nd in the Hall of Fame Career Standards Test, and is 1st among all hitters and pitchers in the Hall of Fame Monitor test. Dickey, Greenberg, and Snyder aren't even mentioned.
Hey Uhlerrobrtj,
I did acknowledge that Stan was a special player, just not the best ever.
If I was starting a team, he would be on my radar.
He played right field in a short porch stadium for a team that won how many pennants and world series in his 24 years as player?
Your stats are full of good points. Moneyball Beane of the A's also used stats to evaluate player talent and to build his team on those stats. He never won a championship!!!!!
DiMagio was a superior fielder, better baserunner, stronger arm, and played as a right handed hitter in Death Valley, as Yankee Stadium was known for its deep left and center field.
Dimaggio in his career struck out a little over 350 times (THREE HUNDRED & FIFTY times).
He hit approx 346 homers in his career, so for every homer hit he struck out one time.
Since you like stats, that is the most amazing stat that you will ever see.
However, Ruth, Gehrig,Foxx,Dimaggio, Mays,Aaron,Williams,& Berra would be picked on my team before I select Stan Musial.
I bet that if you put that team against the team, with Stan Musial,that you select in your little computer file , They would win more championships without Stan.