St. Louis ? Albert Pujols has a list of worthy MVP candidates at the ready in case he falls short.

The St. Louis standout has huge numbers heading into the final days of the season. He leads the major leagues in batting average and hits, is one off the National League homer lead and first in runs.

He’s also the first player in major league history to accumulate 30 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 runs in each of his first three seasons, and joined Rogers Hornsby (1929) as the only Cardinals to get 200 hits and 40 homers in a season.

“He’s so dangerous,” manager Tony La Russa said. “It’s almost six months long of never cheating him or us with an at-bat. He just has strength in his mind.”

La Russa compares Pujols’ season favorably with Mark McGwire’s 70-homer season in 1998.

“It’s amazing, the way these guys are locked in,” the manager said. “They’re always ready.”

Pujols concedes it probably won’t be enough to win his first MVP award, because it’s unlikely the Cardinals will make the postseason. San Francisco’s Barry Bonds is the likely front-runner after finishing first ahead of Pujols last year, and Pujols also touts Atlanta’s Gary Sheffield and Philadelphia’s Jim Thome as possible honorees.

“I guess the last three years they’re just talking about Barry Bonds and I’m pretty sure why because of his numbers,” Pujols said. “But they need to look around at the other guys, too.”

Sheffield was among the leaders in all major offensive categories. Thome entered Tuesday second in the NL with 126 RBIs.

St. Louis' Albert Pujols, center, is met by teammate Fernando Vina after hitting a solo walk-off home run. Pujols, who belted his 43rd homer to beat Houston Saturday in St. Louis, doesn't think he'll win the National League MVP award.

“Before they choose who they give it to, they should look around because Atlanta is in the playoffs for sure,” Pujols said. “They need to look at Jim Thome if (the Phillies) make it to the playoffs, and guys like that.”

It’s not a slam dunk that Pujols, who was batting .363 with 43 homers and 124 RBIs before playing Milwaukee Tuesday night, won’t win the award if the Cardinals fall short this year. Almost one-third of the MVP recipients, 52 of 165, came from teams did not make the playoffs.

Pujols’ chances were hurt by a slump at the start of the month, when the Cardinals went 1-7 against the Cubs and Astros and fell from front-runners to the fringes of the NL Central race. He was 4-for-19 with one RBI in a five-game series against the Cubs, then had no RBIs in a three-game series against the Astros.