OPINION

By Ryan Fagan

updated 9:22 p.m. ET Sept. 17, 2008

After turning in his "worst" performance as a pro last season — hitting "only" .327 with 32 homers and 103 RBIs and finishing a "distant" ninth in the National League MVP voting — Albert Pujols will finish 2008 where he belongs: among the top four vote-getters in the MVP race. That's where he finished in each of his first six seasons in the majors, and with his .357 batting average, Pujols is the favorite to win the award for the second time in his career.

Let's look at the other MVP contenders, along with the Cy Young and rookie of the year races in the N.L.

MVP Award
The contenders
Albert Pujols, 1B, Cardinals
Why: Pujols is putting together the finest statistical season -- in terms of percentages -- since Barry Bonds was in his prime. His 1.106 OPS is clearly superior to any other hitter this year, and his 33 homers and 101 RBIs aren't shabby, either.

Why not: The Cards have faded in the past month or so, and that could cost Pujols a vote or two. But the team's slump isn't his fault -- he's batting .416 with nine homers and 26 RBIs since August 15.

David Wright, 3B, Mets
Why: Wright is having another stellar all-around season, and players in New York get plenty of attention. In other years, his production might be enough, and if the Mets hold on to a playoff position, he'll garner plenty of support.

Why not: Wright has struck out more than twice as many times as Pujols, and is hitting .59 points lower.

The also-rans
Ryan Howard, 1B, Phillies
He leads the majors in home runs and RBIs by wide margins, but the last time someone hitting in the .240s won the MVP was, well, never. Won't happen this time around, either.

Lance Berkman, 1B, Astros
For months, Berkman and Carlos Lee were the only reasons to watch the Astros. Then, Lee got hurt and Berkman leveled off. But when the pitching staff got hot and carried the Astros back into the wild-card mix, people finally started to notice Berkman's stellar season.

Carlos Delgado, 1B, Mets
He's certainly the flavor of the month, and his resurgence is a primary reason the Mets are in playoff contention. But let's be honest. Delgado isn't even the most valuable player on his own team -- he's behind Wright, Jose Reyes, Johan Santana and maybe even Carlos Beltran.

Cy Young Award
The contenders
Tim Lincecum, SP, Giants
Why: Because he's 14 games over .500 (17-3) for a team that is 15 games under .500. Because he leads the National League in ERA, strikeouts and fewest hits allowed per nine innings. Since his last loss, on July 20, Lincecum is 6-0 with a 1.75 ERA, and he has 94 strikeouts in 72 innings.

Why not: If Brandon Webb finishes with four or five more wins than Lincecum, that could be tough to overcome.

Brandon Webb, SP, Diamondbacks
Why: Because he has three more wins than any other pitcher in the N.L., and he could get to 23 victories -- which would be the most in the N.L. since 2002 -- if he wins his final three starts.

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Why not: A horrible three-start stretch, which bumped his ERA from 2.74 to 3.41, coincided with Lincecum making his push.

Johan Santana, SP, Mets
Why. He has been the only constant on the Mets' pitching staff this season, and his ERA and WHIP are excellent. Plus, Santana leads the majors with 25 quality starts.

Why not: His other numbers aren't good enough to make up for the low number of wins.

The also-rans
CC Sabathia, SP, Brewers
Half a season is not enough to win a full-season award.

Ryan Dempster, SP, Cubs
He just might be the Cubs' team MVP; Dempster certainly has been their most consistent starter.

Edinson Volquez, SP, Reds
Sure, he has slowed down since his torrid start, but Volquez's overall numbers (16 wins, 3.22 ERA, 192 strikeouts) are still very good.

Rookie of the Year Award
The contenders
Geovany Soto, C, Cubs
Why: By midseason, Soto had earned the respect from teammates and opponents that typically is reserved for seasoned veterans. His ability to handle the Cubs' pitching staff has drawn rave reviews, and his offensive numbers (22 homers, 83 RBIs) are pretty good, too.

Why not: No reasons. The award is his.

The also-rans
Jair Jurrjens, SP, Braves
He has been the lone constant in the injury-plagued Braves rotation, racking up 13 victories and posting a 3.62 ERA.

Joey Votto, 1B, Reds
Finally given an opportunity at the major league level, Votto has responded with 19 homers and a solid .285 average.

Kosuke Fukudome, OF, Cubs
There was a time he was the odds-on favorite for the award; that feels like a really, really long time ago.

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