How Matt Carpenter went from hitting .140 in mid-May to potential MVP

Through good times and slumps, Matt Carpenter finds structure in the familiarity of his routine. When he was hitting .140 in mid-May, Carpenter faithfully arrived at the park at 1 p.m. before home night games and 3 p.m. on the road. His preparation began with some tee work, followed by soft toss, a hitter's meeting, batting practice on the field, a light pregame meal and a video refresher course before the game's first pitch.

Somewhere between start of the daily rituals and the national anthem, Carpenter always finds time to channel his inner Chipper Jones.

In 2012, Carpenter tore his right oblique muscle on a checked swing. Part of the protocol to get healthy was taking right-handed swings,…