Dayn Perry of FOXSports.com calls Justin Morneau's selection as American League MVP "downright criminal," believing the Twins' first baseman was only the fourth-best player on his team in 2006. That seems like a stretch. The one player who certainly could be deemed "more valuable" in the Twins' stunning push to the AL Central title is left-hander Johan Santana, but let's face it, starting pitchers get little consideration for MVP honors anymore. Otherwise, this writer disagrees with Perry and believes Morneau is the one if the criteria is which player was most valuable to his club. The Twins were two different teams in 2006, going 22-35 through June 7, then posting two fewer losses the rest of the year with a 71-33 finish. For the season, Morneau ranked second in the AL in RBIs (130), fifth in total bases (331), sixth in slugging (.559) and eighth in OPS (.934) -- all respectable numbers -- but his contribution during the Twins' 71-33 surge makes him MVP-worthy. From June 8 on, Morneau led the league in hitting (.362), total bases (245) and RBIs (92). He finished second in this stretch to MVP candidate David Ortiz by slugging .611 and posting a 1.023 OPS, and placed third in OBP (.412) behind Ortiz (.440) and teammate Joe Mauer (.429). No hitter was as critical to Minnesota's incredible finish than Morneau, and for that, he's a legitimate MVP.