Andruw Jones (left) has been the go-to guy for the Braves all season. Al Tielemans/SI
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You have to give more consideration to Andruw Jones for the National League MVP award.  It is true that Albert Pujols has the better cumulative offensive stats for all of the sexy categories, but Jones has been a monster during the late innings when the Braves have been involved in close games. Also, since you are giving demerits to David Ortiz for not playing defense, you have to pony up some points for Jones. Pujols is a solid, underrated defender at first base, but Jones has been the Gold Glove standard in center field for seven years running.
-- Mike Fermo, Buffalo, N.Y.

Jones is the best center fielder of our generation, so, yes, he gets extra credit there. What bothers me is he has hit .225 with runners in scoring position. Listen, I don't want to run down the guy; he has been excellent this year. And finishing second in the MVP is no slight (see Pujols, Albert). I just think Pujols has been better while carrying the team through injuries.

In your Sep. 13th column you state, "...no such drama exists in the NL, where Albert Pujols is the best player in the league among contending teams ... " Since the league explicitly states that the MVP award should not be dependent on the team's "contention," how is it possible that Derrek Lee, whose performance exceeds Pujols in essentially every way, should not win?
-- William Guinn, New York

The league does not administer the MVP. The baseball writers do. Its meaning is defined by individual voters. I am of the opinion that the leading candidates for the award should have played for a contender and faced the heat of a pennant race. I would not rule out a player from a noncontender winning it, but only if there is no obvious candidate from a contender. And by the way, I don't think Lee has outperformed Pujols in every way. Pujols gets him in RBI, OBP, walks and runs. The other major categories are extremely close. It's not the Most Outstanding Hitter --- there is an award for that, the Hank Aaron Award, which has nothing to do with a team's record.

Shouldn't A-Rod's fine baserunning abilities be a factor here? He's got 13 stolen bags, and though it doesn't put him too far ahead of Vladimir Guerrero's 12, he trumps Ortiz, who only has one. Don't get me wrong, I think Ortiz is great -- but giving him the MVP award would send the wrong message. The age of the lumbering, one-trick-pony power hitters who can't run or play defense is over. Ortiz is a thing of the past, while all-around-excellent players such as A-Rod and Albert Pujols are the future.
-- Andrew, Pennsylvania

Is it a factor? Yes, but a minor one. It does get back to my point about Ortiz: if you're going to be a one-dimensional player, you better be far, far better than everybody else to win the MVP.

You're way off on the AL MVP race. If the Yankees fail to make the playoffs with a $208 million payroll, then how can the MVP come from that team? Ortiz has been Mr. Clutch all year, and has more game-winning hits then I can count. With that said, if the Yankees do make the playoffs, then A-Rod probably should be the MVP, for he has carried the team offensively and played great defense all year.
-- Raj, Woodbridge, N.J.

So if the Yankees lose a playoff spot on the last game of the year on a bloop single by Tony Graffanino, A-Rod loses the MVP? But if the bloop is caught and the Yankees win A-Rod wins the MVP? I'm not buying it. As for payrolls and expectations, I stop looking at dollar signs once the season starts. Checkbooks don't win games or hit 88 mph splitters. Anyway, I'd venture to say the Red Sox have a very large payroll and extreme expectations as well.