Ryan Braun named National League MVP

Milwaukee's Ryan Braun has won the NL Most Valuable Player Award after helping lead the Brewers to their first division title in nearly 30 years.

Braun earned the MVP on Tuesday, receiving 20 of 32 first-place votes and 388 points in voting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Los Angeles center fielder Matt Kemp, who came close to winning the Triple Crown, received 10 first-place votes and finished with 332 points.
Braun led the NL with a .597 slugging percentage and was second with a .332 batting average. He had 33 homers, 111 RBIs and stole 33 bases.
Kemp led the NL in homers, RBIs and was third in average.

Receiving one first-place vote apiece were Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, who finished third with 229 points, and Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton, who placed fourth with 214 points. Braun, Kemp, Fielder and Upton were the only players named on every ballot.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, a three-time winner, finished fifth, marking the 11th consecutive year that he has placed in the top 10 of MVP voting.

Rounding out this year’s top 10 were the 2010 winner, Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto, Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman, Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay and Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. In all, 26 players gained mention.