St. Louis Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was named the Sporting News’ Player of the Year, as selected by a panel of 314 major league players.
Pujols batted .357 with 37 home runs and 116 runs batted in during the 2008 season, and did so while playing with a torn ligament in his right elbow.
This marks the second time Pujols has been selected as the top player by his peers, as he first captured the honor in 2003.
Whether the announcement has any bearing on what we can expect with regard to the Most Valuable Player Award remains to be seen.
However, Pujols appears to be the favorite among a list of names that include Chipper Jones and Ryan Howard.
