IMO, Ryan Howard got hosed.
In the end, the Baseball Writers' Association of America joined the chorus, choosing not to penalize Pujols for his team's fourth-place finish. In fact, it's possible that quite the opposite happened -- that Pujols was rewarded for the Cardinals' place in the standings.
Remember, Howard carried the Phillies on his back in September while Pujols dd nothing in the final month.
It was not only a supremely productive season for Pujols, it was a consistent one as well. He never hit lower than .302 in any month, never had an OBP lower than .413 and never slugged below .558. He came on especially strong in the second half, batting .366 and slugging .706 after the All-Star break. Pujols finished seven points behind Chipper Jones in the race for the NL batting title.
Crowning achievement: Pujols NL MVP | MLB.com: News