New York ? Albert Pujols views MVP voting a little differently these days.

“You have to consider everything. You have to put all the numbers together,” the St. Louis star said Monday after powering past Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard to win the award for the second time.

Pujols won despite the Cardinals finishing in fourth place, the lowest spot for an NL MVP winner since Andre Dawson and the Chicago Cubs wound up sixth in 1987. Howard led the majors in home runs and RBIs for the World Series champs.

The result surely will renew a debate that Pujols once raised himself: What qualifies as “most valuable”?

In 2006, a month after leading the Cardinals to the World Series crown, Pujols carped when Howard — whose Phillies missed the playoffs — captured the coveted award.

“I see it this way: Someone who doesn’t take his team to the playoffs doesn’t deserve to win the MVP,” Pujols said at that time.

Shortly thereafter, Pujols clarified his remarks and said Howard certainly was worthy of the award.

Just as Pujols believed he earned it this year.

“I wasn’t surprised at all,” he said.

Pujols hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs while playing with a sore right elbow that required surgery. Howard hit 48 homers with 146 RBIs for the Phillies.