The 2005 All-MVP Fantasy Team
Baseball can debate all it wants about what constitutes a league MVP; we're clear on our definition in Fantasy: it's who gives the most bang for the buck after those first few rounds of no-brainer studs like Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez. Our Eric Mack unveils his 2005 All-MVP Team, which was led by none other than Derrek Lee.
In the weeks of October and postseason Baseball, we recap the 2005 season in our Fantasy Flashback.
First might be foremost, but last is not least. You win or lose your Fantasy league with the players you pick after the sure things.
Anyone can brag about having the Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez's on their Fantasy teams; they're studs in and studs out. But if you want to win your league, you have to find gems after those first few easy rounds on Draft Day.
We venture to say whomever had Derrek Lee in your league surely didn't have a bad season for themselves. They got first-round value out of a player they picked no earlier than the seventh round in a standard mixed league last March.
With that in mind, we present you the 2005 All-MVP Fantasy team. These players might not have been the best at their respective positions, but they gave the biggest bang for the buck.
Who gets your vote as 2005 Fantasy MVP? Cast your vote here!
| The 2005 All-MVP Team | ||
| POS | Player, TM | Rotisserie stats |
| C | Victor Martinez, CLE | .305 AVG, 20 HR, 80 RBI, 73 R, 0 SB |
|
Sure, a clear No. 1 coming in, but he stayed healthy and dominated. HM: Jason Varitek, Brandon Inge, Chris Shelton and Greg Zaun. |
||
| 1B | Derrek Lee, CHC | .335-46-107-120-15 |
|
Pujols was the sure thing, but Lee's Draft Day bargain was too
valuable. HM: Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Travis Hafner and Chad Tracy. |
||
| 2B | Brian Roberts, BAL | .314-18-73-92-27 |
|
We love age 27s, but no one knew he was this good. Well, is
he? HM: Jorge Cantu, Chase Utley, Chone Figgins and Alfonso Soriano. |
||
| 3B | Morgan Ensberg, HOU | .283-36-101-86-6 |
|
He went from waiver-wire fodder in leagues to a complete stud. HM: David Wright, Chone Figgins, A-Rod and Shea Hillenbrand. |
||
| SS | Jhonny Peralta, CLE | .292-24-78-82-0 |
|
He exceeded anyone's expectations in his first full season as a
starter. HM: Felipe Lopez, Jose Reyes, Michael Young and Jimmy Rollins. |
||
| OF | Jason Bay, PIT | .306-32-101-110-21 |
| A 40-40 candidate, he enters Fantasy elite in just his second season. | ||
| OF | Andruw Jones, ATL | .263-51-128-95-5 |
| He was 27 on opening day -- all the makings of a 50-homer breakout. | ||
| OF | Grady Sizemore, CLE | .289-22-81-111-22 |
|
Undervalued on Draft Day because he was rumored headed for minors. HM: Ken Griffey, Cliff Floyd, Miguel Cabrera and Manny Ramirez. |
||
| DH | David Ortiz, BOS | .300-47-148-119-1 |
|
Back-to-back MVP campaigns clinches it: Big Papi is a Fantasy
beast. HM: Jason Giambi, Hafner, Hillenbrand and David Dellucci. |
||
| SP1 | Chris Carpenter, STL | 21 W, 2.83 ERA, 213 K, 1.055 WHIP |
| No one could have expected he would be this kind of dominant. | ||
| SP2 | Dontrelle Willis, FLA | 22-2.63-170-1.134 |
| A great example of a breakthrough Fantasy ace in his third season. | ||
| SP3 | Bartolo Colon, LAA | 21-3.48-157-1.159 |
| Came off so-so 2004, but he has baseball's most wins since 2002. | ||
| SP4 | Johan Santana, MIN | 16-2.88-238-0.971 |
| We've grown to expect this of him, otherwise he's No. 1 here. | ||
| SP5 | Roger Clemens, HOU | 13-1.87-185-1.008 |
|
How can anyone expect this kind of dominance by a 43-year-old? HM: Andy Pettitte, John Smoltz, John Lackey and Pedro Martinez. |
||
| CL | Chad Cordero, WAS | 2-1.82-61-0.969-47 Saves |
| A 23-year-old closer on a fifth-place team gets 47 saves? ... Wow. | ||
| CL | Mariano Rivera, NYY | 7-1.38-80-0.868-43 |
|
Rumors of his demise after '04 playoffs were greatly exaggerated. HM: B.J. Ryan, Joe Nathan, Billy Wagner and Brad Lidge. |
||
| RP | Derrick Turnbow, MIL | 7-1.74-64-1.084-39 |
|
Among surprise in-season promotions to be completely dominant. HM: Todd Jones, Huston Street, Justin Duchscherer, Scot Shields. |
||
2005 official MLB honors
AL players of the week
Oct. 3 -- OF Frank Catalanotto, Toronto
Sept. 26 -- DH
Travis Hafner, Cleveland
Sept. 19 -- 2B Robinson Cano,
NYY, and DH David Ortiz, Boston
Sept. 12 -- OF Coco Crisp,
Cleveland
Sept. 6 -- 1B Mark Teixeira, Texas
Aug. 29 -- C
Victor Martinez, Cleveland
Aug. 22 -- OF Lew Ford,
Minnesota
Aug. 15 -- RF Vladimir Guerrero, L.A. Angels of
Anaheim
Aug. 8 -- OF Manny Ramirez, Boston
Aug. 1 -- OF
Aubrey Huff, Tampa Bay
July 25 -- OF Frank Catalanatto,
Toronto
July 18 -- RF Gary Sheffield, NYY, and CF David
DeJesus, K.C.
July 4 -- CL Joe Nathan, Minnesota
June
27 -- LF Manny Ramirez, Boston
June 20 -- CF Hideki Matsui,
N.Y. Yankees
June 13 -- CF Torii Hunter, Minnesota
June 6 -- 3B
Eric Chavez, Oakland
May 30 -- SS Edgar Renteria, Boston
May
23 -- 1B Mark Teixeira, Texas
May 16 -- 1B Tino Martinez,
N.Y. Yankees
May 9 -- 2B Alfonso Soriano, Texas
May 2 -- 3B
Alex Rodriguez, N.Y., and RHP Jon Garland, Chicago
April
25 -- OF Manny Ramirez, Boston
April 18 -- 2B Brian Roberts,
Baltimore
April 11 -- 1B-OF Dmitri Young, Detroit
NL players of the week
Oct. 3 -- OF Randy Winn, San Francisco
Sept. 26 -- 1B Todd
Helton, Colorado
Sept. 19 -- SS Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia
Sept. 12 -- OF Andruw Jones, Atlanta
Sept. 6 -- RHP Chris
Carpenter, St. Louis
Aug. 29 -- 3B David Wright, New York
Aug. 22 -- SS Felipe Lopez, Cincinnati
Aug. 15 -- LF Jason Bay,
Pittsburgh
Aug. 8 -- RHP Jake Peavy, San Diego
Aug. 1 -- OF
Matt Holliday, Colorado
July 25 -- 3B Aramis Ramirez, Cubs
and LF Miguel Cabrera, Florida
July 18 -- 2B Chase Utley,
Philadelphia
July 4 -- 3B Morgan Ensberg, Houston
June 27 -- SP
John Smoltz and CF Andruw Jones, Atlanta
June 20 -- LF Kelly
Johnson, Atlanta
June 13 -- RF Shawn Green, Arizona
June 6 -- 1B Nick Johnson, Wash. and 1B Albert Pujols, St.
Louis
May 30 -- 1B Derrek Lee, Chicago
May 23 -- OF Pat
Burrell, Philadelphia
May 16 -- OF Bobby Abreu,
Philadelphia
May 9 -- OF Carlos Lee, Milwaukee
May 2 -- 1B
Derrek Lee, Chicago
April 25 -- LHP Mark Mulder, St. Louis
April 18 -- RHP A.J. Burnett, Florida
April 11 -- OF Pat
Burrell, Philadelphia
AL players of the month
Player of the month
Sept. -- DH David Ortiz, Boston
August -- 3B Alex Rodriguez, New York
July -- 1B Jason
Giambi, New York
June -- DH Travis Hafner, Cleveland
May -- 3B Alex Rodriguez, New York
April -- 2B Brian
Roberts, Baltimore
Pitcher of the month
Sept. -- RHP Jose Contreras,
Chicago
August -- RHP Bartolo Colon, Los Angeles
July --
LHP Barry Zito, Oakland
June -- LHP Mark Buehrle,
Chicago
May -- LHP Kenny Rogers, Texas
April -- RHP Jon
Garland, Chicago
Rookie of the month
Sept. -- 2B Robinson Cano, New York
August -- RHP Joe Blanton, Oakland
July -- LHP Gustavo Chacin,
Toronto
June -- RHP Joe Blanton, Oakland
May -- OF
Damon Hollins, Tampa Bay
April -- LHP Gustavo Chacin,
Toronto
NL players of the month
Player of the month
Sept. -- OF Randy Winn, San
Francisco
August -- OF Andruw Jones, Atlanta
July -- OF
Adam Dunn, Cincinnati
June -- CF Andruw Jones, Atlanta
May -- OF Bobby Abreu, Philadelphia
April -- 1B Derrek Lee,
Chicago
Pitcher of the month
Sept. -- LHP Andy Pettitte, Houston
August -- LHP Noah Lowry, San Francisco
July -- LHP Andy Pettitte,
Houston
June -- CL Chad Cordero, Washington
May -- RHP Trevor
Hoffman, San Diego
April -- LHP Dontrelle Willis, Florida
Rookie of the month
Sept. -- 1B Ryan Howard,
Philadelphia
August -- LHP Zach Duke, Pittsburgh
July --
LHP Zach Duke, Pittsburgh
June -- 3B Garrett Atkins,
Colorado
May -- OF Ryan Church, Washington
April -- SS
Clint Barmes, Colorado
Our first-half Fantasy Awards
MVP/NL MVP
1B Derrek Lee, Chicago Cubs
PITCHER/AL pitcher
RHP Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays
ROOKIE/AL rookie
SP Chris Young, Texas Rangers
BREAKOUT/AL breakout
2B Brian Roberts, Baltimore Orioles
AL MVP
3B Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
NL pitcher
RHP Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals
NL rookie
CF Willy Taveras, Houston Astros
NL breakout
3B Morgan Ensberg, Houston Astros
You can e-mail your Fantasy Baseball questions to Eric Mack at bleacher@commissioner.com. Be sure to put Attn: All-MVP Team in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.













