St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, who in his first four seasons in the major leagues finished second twice, third and fourth in National League Most Valuable Player voting, finally made it to the top with his victory in the 2005 election.

Pujols, whose slugging helped the Cardinals to the best record in the majors with a 100-62 mark, was listed first on 18 of the 32 ballots cast by two writers in each league city and second on the remaining 14 for a total of 378 points, based on the tabulation system that rewards 14 points for first place, nine for second, eight for third and on down to one for 10th.

Pujols, 25, led the NL in runs (129) and was among the league leaders in most offensive categories. He was tied for first in multi-hit games (57); second in batting average (.330), RBI (117), total bases (360), on-base average (.430) and slugging (.609); third in home runs (41) and extra-base hits (81) and fourth in hits (195). For the fourth consecutive season, Pujols had more walks (97) than strikeouts (65).

In his first major-league season, Pujols finished fourth in the MVP voting in 2001 when he was the unanimous selection as the NL winner of the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award. He was the runner-up in 2002 and 2003 and finished third last year. Those elections were all won by San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds, who played in only 14 games this year after recovering from two knee surgeries. Bonds has a record seven MVPs overall.

Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones, who led the league in home runs (51) and RBI (128) while batting .263, finished second in the voting with 351 points, based on 13 first-place votes, 17 seconds and two thirds. The other first-place vote went to Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, who was second on one ballot and third on the other 30 for 263 points. Lee led the NL in batting (.335), hits (199), doubles (50), extra-base hits (99) and slugging (.662); was second in home runs (46) and seventh in RBI (107).

Pujols, Jones and Lee were the only players named on all ballots.

Rounding out the top 10 were Houston Astros third baseman Morgan Ensberg (.283, 36 HR, 101 RBI), Florida Marlins left fielder Miguel Cabrera (.323, 33 HR, 116 RBI, 106 R), Marlins first baseman Carlos Delgado (.301, 33 HR, 115 RBI), Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell (.281, 32 HR, 117 RBI), St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter (21-5, 2.83 ERA), San Diego Padres right fielder Brian Giles (.301, 15 HR, 83 RBI, 119 BB) and Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins (.290, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 115 R, 41 SB).

In all, 32 players gained mention.

It marked the 15th time a Cardinals player has been honored but the first in 20 years since Willie McGee's victory in 1985. The Cardinals' total of MVP winners is the most in the NL and second only to the New York Yankees' 19 MVPs in the American League. The Yankees had also been without an MVP since 1985 when Don Mattingly won before Alex Rodriguez ended the drought Monday.

Stan Musial was a three-time MVP for St. Louis in 1943, 1946 and 1948. Other Cardinals winners were Frankie Frisch in 1931, Dizzy Dean in 1934, Joe Medwick in 1937, Mort Cooper in 1942, Marty Marion in 1944, Ken Boyer in 1964, Orlando Cepeda in 1967, Bob Gibson in 1968, Joe Torre in 1971, Keith Hernandez (a co-winner with the Pittsburgh Pirates' Willie Stargell) in 1979 and McGee.

Pujols became the 11th NL first baseman cited, a list that includes Hernandez, Stargell, Cepeda and Musial (in 1946) as well as Frank McCormick, Dolph Camilli, Willie McCovey, Steve Garvey and Jeff Bagwell. Musial was an outfielder when he won his other two MVPs.

Pujols is also the 18th player to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP Awards, joining Cepeda, McCovey, Bagwell, Jackie Robinson, Don Newcombe, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Pete Rose, Dick Allen, Johnny Bench and Andre Dawson in the NL and Rod Carew, Thurman Munson, Fred Lynn, Cal Ripken, Jr., Jose Canseco and Ichiro Suzuki in the AL. Lynn and Suzuki are the only players to have won both awards in the same season.

The vote:

Previous winners (*—Unanimous):
2004 BARRY BONDS, San Francisco Giants; 2003 BARRY BONDS, San Francisco Giants; 2002 *BARRY BONDS, San Francisco Giants; 2001 BARRY BONDS, San Francisco Giants; 2000 JEFF KENT, San Francisco Giants; 1999 CHIPPER JONES, Atlanta Braves; 1998 SAMMY SOSA, Chicago Cubs; 1997 LARRY WALKER, Colorado Rockies; 1996 *KEN CAMINITI, San Diego Padres; 1995 BARRY LARKIN, Cincinanti Reds; 1994 *JEFF BAGWELL, Houston Astros; 1993 BARRY BONDS, San Francisco Giants; 1992 BARRY BONDS, Pittsburgh Pirates; 1991 TERRY PENDLETON, Atlanta Braves; 1990 BARRY BONDS, Pittsburgh Pirates; 1989 KEVIN MITCHELL, San Francisco Giants; 1988 KIRK GIBSON, Los Angeles Dodgers; 1987 ANDRE DAWSON, Chicago Cubs; 1986 MIKE SCHMIDT, Philadelphia Phillies; 1985 WILLIE McGEE, St. Louis Cardinals; 1984 RYNE SANDBERG, Chicago Cubs; 1983 DALE MURPHY, Atlanta Braves; 1982 DALE MURPHY, Atlanta Braves; 1981 MIKE SCHMIDT, Philadelphia Phillies; 1980 *MIKE SCHMIDT, Philadelphia Phillies; 1979 (Tie) KEITH HERNANDEZ, St. Louis Cardinals, and WILLIE STARGELL, Pittsburgh Pirates; 1978 DAVE PARKER, Pittsburgh Pirates; 1977 GEORGE FOSTER, Cincinnati Reds; 1976 JOE MORGAN, Cincinnati Reds; 1975 JOE MORGAN, Cincinnati Reds; 1974 STEVE GARVEY, Los Angeles Dodgers; 1973 PETE ROSE, Cincinnati Reds; 1972 JOHNNY BENCH, Cincinnati Reds; 1971 JOE TORRE, St. Louis Cardinals; 1970 JOHNNY BENCH, Cincinnati Reds; 1969 WILLIE McCOVEY, San Francisco Giants; 1968 BOB GIBSON, St. Louis Cardinals; 1967 *ORLANDO CEPEDA, St. Louis Cardinals; 1966 ROBERTO CLEMENTE, Pittsburgh Pirates; 1965 WILLIE MAYS, San Francisco Giants; 1964 KEN BOYER, St. Louis Cardinals; 1963 SANDY KOUFAX, Los Angeles Dodgers; 1962 MAURY WILLS, Los Angeles Dodgers; 1961 FRANK ROBINSON, Cincinnati Reds; 1960 DICK GROAT, Pittsburgh Pirates; 1959 ERNIE BANKS, Chicago Cubs; 1958 ERNIE BANKS, Chicago Cubs; 1957 HENRY AARON, Milwaukee Braves; 1956 DON NEWCOMBE, Brooklyn Dodgers; 1955 ROY CAMPANELLA, Brooklyn Dodgers; 1954 WILLIE MAYS, New York Giants; 1953 ROY CAMPANELLA, Brooklyn Dodgers; 1952 HANK SAUER, Chicago Cubs; 1951 ROY CAMPANELLA, Brooklyn Dodgers; 1950 JIM KONSTANTY, Philadelphia Phillies; 1949 JACKIE ROBINSON, Brooklyn Dodgers; 1948 STAN MUSIAL, St. Louis Cardinals; 1947 BOB ELLIOT, Boston Braves; 1946 STAN MUSIAL, St. Louis Cardinals; 1945 PHIL CAVARRETTA, Chicago Cubs; 1944 MARTY MARION, St. Louis Cardinals; 1943 STAN MUSIAL, St. Louis Cardinals; 1942 MORT COOPER, St. Louis Cardinals; 1941 DOLPH CAMILLI, Brooklyn Dodgers; 1940 FRANK McCORMICK, Cincinnati Reds; 1939 BUCKY WALTERS, Cincinnati Reds; 1938 ERNIE LOMBARDI, Cincinnati Reds; 1937 JOE MEDWICK, St. Louis Cardinals; 1936 CARL HUBBELL, New York Giants; 1935 GABBY HARTNETT, Chicago Cubs; 1934 DIZZY DEAN, St. Louis Cardinals; 1933 CARL HUBBELL, New York Giants; 1932 CHUCK KLEIN, Philadelphia Phillies; 1931 FRANKIE FRISCH, St. Louis Cardinals