It’s not typically a tough call for the MVP voters in either league these days. There’s usually a pretty clear choice. Every few years there’s a couple stars at the top, and it could go either way, but there’s almost always a favorite, and sometimes one of overwhelming levels.

But I can’t remember the last time it was as easy as it is in 2007, at least in the American League. The National League is indeed a toss-up, with Prince Fielder, Jimmy Rollins, David Wright and Matt Holliday battling it out on four contending clubs.

Not so in the junior circuit.

Alex Rodriguez is so far and away the league’s most valuable player that the commissioner’s office should strongly consider dis-allowing the AROD-hating media’s vote on anyone else.

Most consider Rodriguez the favorite, with Detroit’s Magglio Ordonez a distant second and the Halos’ Vladimir Guerrero and even more distant third.

I propose a new voting method, however.

Instead of the 1-2-3-4-5 slotting system where the Baseball Writers Association of America vote candidates in places ranked first to 10th, it would be much more fitting if they simply voted for the winner, and left everyone else out of the equation.

If Rodriguez is your choice, why does 2nd and 3rd place matter? And this season, the only way Ordonez or Guerrero end up with a respectable number of first-place votes, if any at all, is if the writers hold something against Rodriguez for previous gaffes in his attempts at PR improvements.

Rodriguez has done it all this season, and the Yankees are riding his legendary season into October as the league’s hottest club and as the favorite to win it all.

Here’s how my ballot would look, if I was lucky enough to have one that counted:

To further cement Rodriguez’s dominant case:

He’s been better after the break than before it - .663 SLG and 30 HR versus .616 and 23 HR pre all-star. He’s posted a line of .297/.395/.588 with 26 homers and nine game-winning hits versus the contending teams he faced in 2007: Seattle, LAA, NYM, AZ, BOS, CLE, DET and COL.

AROD is slugging .714 versus finesse pitchers, but .726 against power arms, and he led the league in slugging percentage (.455) and OPS (.768) when behind in the count.

He’s hitting .338/.455/.722 in Yankees wins and .281/.363/.532 in their losses, and leads all of baseball in RBI per plate appearance at .225. He’s driving in almost a quarter run per plate appearance. Geez.

Sure, RBI are dependent on your teammates getting on base in front you, that’s very true. But how about this?

AROD’s OPS with runners on base is currently 1.142. With the bases empty it’s still a ridiculous .952. With runners in scoring position he’s hitting .326/.447/.667 and with runners in scoring position and two out, the dude is raking at .317/.440/.793 for a 1.233 OPS.

After the 6th inning in games where the lead is less than three runs, AROD is hitting .357/.432/.686. He’s hitting .500 with a 1.286 slugging percentage with the bases loaded, including three salamis and two bases-clearing doubles.

His OPS is over 1.000 leading off an inning, with runners on any base or base combinations, with any number of outs with runners on base in any combination - except second and third. But with runners at second and third with two outs, he’s hitting .339/.455/.739 with nine home runs and 13 doubles.

That is absurd. You can argue that clutch hitting is not a special skill in and of itself, and I’ll agree. But Rodriguez is a great hitter whose been unbelievable when it’s counted the most for the Yankees in ‘07.

Furthermore, AROD’s OPS+ this year is currently 180, adjusted for ballparks, which is the third highest OPS+ since 1967, among players not strongly connected to steroids. Only Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez have posted a better OPS+ in the last 40 years.

He’s had an excellent year defensively at an important defensive position, has cut his strikeout rate down while his walk rate is slightly up, and he’s swiped 24 bases in 28 attempts.

I just don’t think there is anything anyone could expect from a player on a team that has a legitimate chance to win the World Series.

If the vote is not unanimous, it is because there is a memeber of the BBWAA that just doesn’t like Rodriguez for personal reasons. His 2007 season ranks right up there with any offensive season in the past 50 years, and he’s never been connected to steroids or any other banned substance at any time in his career.

Side Note: Considering Bonds’ obvious connection to steroids and other banned supplements and substances, and the suspicions surrounding Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, it appears that the two greatest players of the last 20 years made their mark as Seattle Mariners superstars.

And not only is AROD the clear choice for the best player in the game today, he’s easily surpassed Junior as the best player, maybe ever, but certainly of this generation - and the last.

The only thing left for Alex to do is dominate in October wearing those pinstripes. He’s done it in an M’s uniform, hitting .409/.480/.773 with two homers against New York in the 2000 LCS. He was also stellar in ‘04 with the Yankees going 16 for 50 with three homers and eight RBI.

If Rodriguez maintains his season-long hot streak throughout October, we’ll have witnessed one of the very few greatest seasons ever achieved in Major League Baseball history.

But for now, he’ll have to settle for his third American League MVP.