| Brandon Contes. 11th August, 2006 - 2:39 am
 For the past five years selecting the National League MVP has been an easy task. From 2000-2004 Barry Bonds won the award, and while Albert Pujols took the trophy last season while Bonds spent most of it on the disabled list.
On June 1st it seemed as if Pujols was almost certainly going to win the award again. The Cardinals were in first place and Pujols had 25 home runs setting him up to try and break Barry Bonds’ record of 73. Then he missed most of the month of June due to an injury. Although he has still put up great numbers since returning, he has not been on the same record setting pace that he was at the end of May.
So who will be the National League MVP of 2006? The National League is so weak this year it is hard to find someone who stands out more than anyone else. The Reds have been a pleasant surprise this year, but they don’t really have a player who is having that superstar MVP season. Griffey Jr. has been mediocre; Dunn has been his usual self, a lot of homers, a lot of strikeouts. Lance Berkman is having a great year, but the Astros are struggling to stay in the wild card chase in the lowly National League.
Don’t count Pujols out, even while missing nearly a month he still has his Cardinals in first place while staying among the leaders in all the major offensive categories.
How about Ryan Howard? The Phillies have snuck up in the wild card standings and have been a hot team lately even after their fire sale at the trade deadline. Ryan Howard along with Chase Utley have had stellar seasons and could be considered if the Phillies can wind up finding a way to be playing baseball in October.
And then there’s the Mets, the team who is cruising to the playoffs, and the favorites to represent the National League in the World Series. The problem is they may have too many MVP candidates. With their lineup, if someone is slumping or gets hurt they can find someone else to step up. Beltran, Wright, and Reyes are the ones who have been carrying the team the most. Delgado has put up very good numbers, but has still had his share of slumps as well. Reyes seems to be the spark of the team, setting the tone and enabling the Mets to score more first inning runs then any other team. Wright has a knack for the big hit and is beginning to capture the hearts of New York the way Derek Jeter has done. And that leaves us with Beltran.
My pick for the 2006 National League MVP, along with the comeback player of the year award, is Carlos Beltran. After looking like he may turn into another one of those big busts that come to the Mets, such as their “savior” Bobby Bonilla, Beltran is a fan favorite in New York. His numbers are staggering and better then ever before. He is going to have career years and probably set Met records with home runs and RBIs. He gets big hits, and carries the team when they need him most. One of the most important series for the Mets came just recently against the Braves. The Braves, who were talking about still playing for the division, were swept by Beltran alone who had 4 homers and 12 RBIs in the series. While proving his 2005 doubters wrong Carlos Beltran is leading this 2006 Met team into the playoffs and should be named the MVP of the league. |
