2005 AL MVP - Who should it be and why?

[The Jays]

Arod is clearly the better hitter and better athlete. If that's MVP then him and Pujols should win every single year.

Without Ortiz, the Sox would be a .500 team, or at a minimum have lost the 10 games he won in his last at bat. He's also loved by the team, and makes the whole team go.

Arod isn't the leader of the team, everyone hates him, he isn't clutch, and to honest, he isn't even the most valuable player on his own team. The real MVP of the Yankees is Giambi. If Giambi didn't go on his tear in the second half the Yankees wouldn't be in the place they are right now.

Your post reminds me of something I read earlier today.

As for this year's AL MVP race, A-Rod backers point to impressive stats and excellent play at third, conveniently ignoring a lack of leadership and a comical tendency to turn into Roy Hobbs only during blowouts. When the Yankees are leading by 30 or more runs, A-Rod is hitting .950 with 19 HRs and 45 RBIs. All right, I made that up. But he's certainly no David Ortiz, the most dangerous clutch hitter in baseball, in addition to being the soul of Boston's clubhouse and the emotional center of the team. Without him, this year's Sox would be a .500 team, or worse. That makes him the MVP.

It's easy to be the soul of the Boston clubhouse when you spend the majority of your time inside the dugout.