Afternoon Baseball

Neither the National League nor the American League races for the Most Valuable Player are close to being decided, with a great deal hinging on who makes the playoffs.
In the American League, you've got A-Rod and David Ortiz, with both tied in homers at 42 and each delivering on a nearly nightly basis. Ortiz is the best clutch hitter in baseball, but A-Rod is no slouch. Plus, he's hitting about .320 and is playing excellent defense at 3rd. Ortiz doesn't do much of anything with a glove, although that's not why he's needed.
Darkhorse picks? Vlad, of course -- and that's about it, as the Indians are pulling a team effort and nobody on the White Sox is any good, I mean, great. Bobby Crosby, if there were an award for "Guy Whose Injury Causes A Team To Tank." He'd be a close winner over Roy Halladay for that one.

My pick at the moment? Rodriguez, who has silenced critics (some who openly asked whether A-Rod was a player in decline) and has a more key role in the Yankees' lineup than even Ortiz does for the Sox. But that is far from a final decision.

In the National League, you've got perennial runner-up Albert Pujols, the rejuvenated Andruw Jones, and Derrek Lee. Lee is the only reason that the Cubs aren't on pace for 95 losses, to be honest. But the rest of the team has underperformed so much that he's not likely to be noticed. On the other hand, former Cubs Ernie Banks and Andre Dawson won MVPs for terrible Cubby teams, so there's still hope for him.
Pujols is the better all-around hitter, but he's in a stacked lineup. Jones plays for a team without any other hitter having 20 HR, where the best clutch hitter is 47 years old, and where the best hitter in August (besides Jones) was a brand-new rookie (Francouer). Jones also plays all-world defense at a vital position, compared to Pujols' serviceable abilities.

I'd love to say Pujols, but even without him, I still think St. Louis would have won the division. It's Jones' award to lose, and I don't think that's very possible at this point, especially with the big 50 HRs. Other CFs who have hit 50: Mickey Mantle (twice), Willie Mays (twice) Ken Griffey, Jr. (twice), and Brady Anderson, the man who doesn't fit with the rest on this list. Duke Snider, the third in the 1950s NYC triumverate with Mantle and Mays, hit 40 HR five straight years but never more than 43.

Darkhouse candidates? Chris Carpenter, Dontrelle Willis. That's about it.