Justin Morneau, 2006, American League

It’s probably not a good sign for your MVP candidacy when there are two better choices on your own team. 

Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer matched Morneau’s OPS, while playing a vastly more difficult position than Morneau’s first base;  Johan Santana was his usual exceptional self, winning 19 games with a 2.77 ERA and a strikeout/walk ratio of 5.2/1.  Morneau was in the top three in only one significant offensive category, RBIs (130); even there, he trailed Boston’s David Ortiz, who received no first-place MVP votes despite leading the league with 54 homers, 137 RBIs, and 116 walks.  Yet Morneau’s competition for the award proved to be Derek Jeter, who batted .343 for the Yankees and garnered 12 first-place votes to Morneau’s 15.