Albert Pujols won the 2005 National League Most Valuable Player Award on Tuesday. And while it's hard to argue against him deserving the honor, I will.
The MVP should have gone to Atlanta's Andruw Jones.
His batting average was low (.263), but he hit 51 home runs and drove in 128 RBIs, both totals substantially higher than Pujols'. Add to that, Jones didn't have nearly the offensive lineup around him, as no Braves' player besides him drove in more than 78 runs.
Oh yeah, and Jones is quite possibly the best defensive center fielder since Willie Mays.
Not only do the numbers stack up in Jones' favor, but so does the essence of the award. While Pujols' Cardinals were cruising to the NL Central title almost from day one, Jones had to single-handedly keep the Braves afloat while the team switched over to a youth movement.
Although you can't knock Pujols for the year he had, it was Jones who was truly the most valuable.
