Brewers' Braun wins NL MVP vote

NEW YORK, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun, who helped the Brewers win their division this season, is the National League most valuable player, it was announced Tuesday.

Braun pulled in 20 first-place votes on the 32 MVP ballots. He was second on the other 12 for a total of 388 points. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was second with 332 points, including 10 first-place mentions. The Brewers' Prince Fielder came in third.

Braun is the third Milwaukee player, but first since 1989, to be voted the league's most valuable player. Robin Yount won the honor in 1982 and 1989, and the Brewers' Rollie Fingers won in 1981. The team was in the American League at that time.

Braun hit .332 with 33 home runs and 111 runs batted in this season. The batting average was second-best in the National League, and he was also second in total bases (336) and runs scored (109). He led the league with a .597 slugging percentage and an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .994.

Milwaukee finished the year with a 96-66 record, winning the NL Central. The Brewers lost in the NL Championship Series to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The MVP award is determined by a vote of two writers from each National League city.

Detroit pitcher Justin Verlander was announced as the American League MVP Monday.