Pujols missed two weeks of the season due to injury, which would slightly deflate his counting stats (at least to the tune of 6-10 each of RBI and R)... also, he's been intentionally walked more times than the next two players combined (at least in the NL, maybe baseball, not sure)... Pujols has an OPS+ over 190...not just good, freakishly good...the best of his career if it stays around that number... his numbers run circles around any other player in the NL, and he's taken a team that many predicted wouldn't win 80 games and has had them in contention for most of the season, even while they missed their #1 starter for a large chunk of the season... his RC/g is over 12....Hanley Ramirez's is around 7, Berkman's is around 10.5, Ramirez's is just below 7 and Wright's is 7.3 his numbers are just absurdly better than anyone else in the NL... not to mention he's also a premium defender (if not at a premium position) but that doesn't guarantee Pujols the MVP, even when the difference is as large as it is... no player has helped his team as much as Pujols, but we all know that this isn't the definition of value as determined by the MVP award, so who knows what will happen...my guess is that Utley is the front-runner if the Phils make the playoffs, and if the Mets make it then Wright probably is... the Cubs haven't had an outstanding player; amazingly almost every single player is having a good season and the team always gets a hit when it needs it no matter who is at the plate, but no player is having a great season...
