Ranking the 5 best St. Louis Cardinals MVP winners in team history

The Cardinals have had players win the National League Most Valuable Player 21 times. Which players had the best of the best seasons in franchise history?

Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies
Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies / Ezra Shaw/GettyImages
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1. Stan Musial (1948)

Any one of Stan Musial's MVP seasons could have been chosen in the top 5; however, his 1948 season stands above the rest. The third award in 6 seasons for Musial made him the first player to ever win National League MVP three times. Musial is perhaps the greatest Cardinal to ever play the game, and his stats, performances, and name will stand alone in Cardinal lore for years to come.

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In 1948, Stan the Man slashed .376/.450/.702 for an OPS+ of 200 across 155 games and 698 plate appearances. He led the National League in total bases, hits, runs, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, doubles, and triples. He also walked twice as much as he struck out, showing how tough of an at-bat he was for pitchers.

Musial led all of baseball in WAR, slugging percentage, hits, total bases, doubles, and triples. He was also top-5 in batting average, on-base percentage, and RBIs.

Musial's 22-year career in St. Louis won't be matched again. His off-field accomplishments were as good if not better than his on-field performance. Musial served in the military during World War II, was an advisor for Lyndon B. Johnson, supported the removal of the color barrier in baseball, and refused to endorse tobacco products after he realized the dangers involved in smoking. Musial was a class act both during his tenure and after playing. His 1948 season stands above the rest in his career and others in St. Louis history.