POSTED BY Coley Ward ON 3:40 pm, September 3, 2006 - POSTED IN News reel
The National League MVP race is heating up. So far today, Ryan Howard has three homers, putting him at 52 for the year. Not to be outdone, Albert Pujols has hit two homers today, putting him at 41 for the year.
Of course, 52 is a good deal more than 41, but Pujols missed about three weeks earlier in the season with a back injury, and his batting average is a bit higher than Ryan’s, although that gap is getting slimmer and slimmer by the day.
Right now, I’d have to vote for Howard, although I am extremely biased. But what Howard has done this season, especially in the last month and ESPECIALLY in the last week, has been extraordinary.
Right now, the Phils and Bravos are in the bottom of the eighth inning. Howard is scheduled to bat second in the top of the ninth. Then, the two teams play game two of a doubleheader at four p.m. How many homers will Howard have by the end of the day? Stay tuned.
***UPDATE: Howard finished up 4 for 4, with three homers. Pujols also hit three dingers.
I’m not advocating that he should win, but where is Carlos Beltran in this discussion? He’s the best player on the NL’s best team. I’d say it merits some deep consideration. He’s 4th in HRs, 3rd in RBIs, 3rd in OPS, 3rd in SLG, 1st in Runs Scored, and he steals bases. And if you’re the sort (not saying anyone is in particular) to argue that players whose teams don’t make the playoffs should be penalized in MVP voting, then shouldn’t the Mets’ record be taken into account in a more positive light within this discussion? Again, I’m not saying that Beltran deserves it more than Pujols or Howard does (if I had to vote, it’s going to Albert), but I don’t feel it’s fair to omit Beltran from this topic of coversation. God knows that sports journalists don’t cover NY teams enough.