Should there be any doubt about the NL MVP?  Not in my eyes.  In fact, I can't even see how there's any room to argue.  Ryan Howard has got to win the MVP this year.  Sure, naysayers will point to his AVG over the course of the season.  He's a slugger, not a small ball player.  He's not going to have a .340 AVG when he's trying to swing for the fences.  It's not his ability to knock them out of the park that makes him the MVP in my book.  It's the fact that the Phillies are on their way to the world series.  Sure they're loaded with Rollins and Utley in the lineup.  Victorino's been a monster too.  Their pitching is hitting on all cylinders and Brad Lidge had a career year.  With all that said, Howard's bat has been monstrous this season.  He's scored more Runs this year than in his previous season, he's belted out 48 long bombs in the regular season, and his RBI total is scary.  The only down stat he's had all season has been his AVG.  So why not Pujols?  Quite simply because the Cards are sitting at home watching Howard, Rollins, Victorino, and the rest of the Phillies march into the World Series.  But that's not the only reason.  When the Phillies were racing to get in down the stretch, it was Howard's bat that put them there.  He did what he was supposed to do; give his team an opportunity to play in October.  I know Pujols had a great individual year.  I know that when you take him off the Cardinals' roster that team doesn't win half its games.  But would the Phillies be in the position they're in now without Howard's bat?  It probably wouldn't even be close.  Just like the NL MVP shouldn't be.