The semi-long list of NL MVP candidates are, in OPS order (and excluding pitchers):
Chipper Jones
Matt Holliday
Prince Fielder
Albert Pujols
Chase Utley
Miguel Cabrera
David Wright
Hanley Ramirez
Ryan Howard
Adam Dunn
Jimmy Rollins
First, let's knock off Dunn and Howard, who are having nearly identical seasons that are not quite as good as Prince Fielder's. Next let's unfairly knock off a few people due to circumstances largely beyond their control: Cabrera and Ramirez, because their team sucks, and Pujols and Fielder, either of whom could have won the MVP if their team won the NL Central (and if Pujols hadn't been hurt). Next, we knock off Holliday, because while he's having an incredible season at Coors Field, he's been terrible just about everywhere else (and played absolutely no role in the sweep of the Padres).
I really have no complaints with the last four. Maybe you don't choose Rollins, despite his other outstanding numbers, because of his low OBP; maybe you don't choose Utley or Jones because they spent considerable time on the DL, despite the fact that the Phillies only win when Utley's in the lineup and Jones has had one of his best years; maybe you don't choose Wright because he's otherwise so unobjectionable. Maybe you bring Cabrera, Pujols, and/or Fielder back into the discussion, and I have no complaints with that, either. As I say, I don't envy the voters this year.
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