2006 Fantasy Awards
Here are my fantasy award winners for the year. All players have been selected according to a standard points league. I didn’t break it up between leagues, since most fantasy leagues don’t differentiate between the 2.
The Top Overall Hitter Award
Albert Pujols, 1B, Cardinals – Pujols wins the award for the best overall hitter. Even missing 3 weeks, he was near the top of home runs, RBIs, average, and runs.
Other nominees: David Ortiz, Jose Reyes, Carlos Lee, Garrett Atkins.
The Top of the Order Hitter Award
Jose Reyes, SS, Mets – Reyes wins the award for the best non-power hitter (even though he does have some power). He lead the league in stolen bases, got on base better than he had in the past, and scored a ton of runs.
Other nominees: Jimmy Rollins, Ichiro, Carl Crawford, Johnny Damon.
The Most Dominant Starter Award
Johan Santana, Twins – If I would have had these awards last year, Santana would have been the reigning champion. He once again dominated AL hitters and was the best pitcher in baseball by a long shot.
Other nominees: Brandon Webb, Chris Carpenter, Aaron Harang, John Smoltz.
The Most Dominant Finisher Award
Francisco Rodriguez, Angels – K-Rod closed out games in a dominate fashion, as usual. While his mechanics scare most scouts and trainers, his ball movement is next to none. He also finishes games for a team that will be in the penant race for years to come.
Other nominees: Joe Nathan, JJ Putz, Billy Wagner, BJ Ryan.
The Late Round Pick Award
Raul Ibanez, LF, Mariners – Ibanez was that guy that was taken near the end of most drafts as a bench player, but exceed expectations (like Piazza in real life). He has a career year that few saw coming.
Other nominees: JJ Putz, Gary Matthews, Michael Cuddyer, Freddy Sanchez.
The Bust Award
Mark Teixeira, 1B, Rangers – After putting up huge numbers, Teixeira fell of the face of the Earth. His numbers weren’t horrible, but they took a large drop from the previous year; he did have a better second half to keep his numbers respectable.
Other Nominees: Felipe Lopez, Randy Johnson, Hank Blalock, Eric Chavez.
The Top Rookie Award
Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox – Liriano would have taken the top spot if he wouldn’t have struggled out of the bullpen at the beginning of the season; instead Papelbon gets if for shutting the door in Boston. Thrown into the closer role, Papelbon flourished in the challenge. He won in one of the strongest rookie classes in recent memory.
Other nominees: Francisco Liriano, Hanley Ramirez, Ryan Zimmerman, Takashi Saito.
The All Fantasy Team
C – Joe Mauer, Twins
1B – Albert Pujols, Cardinals
2B – Chase Utley, Phillies
3B – Garrett Atkins, Rockies
SS – Jose Reyes, Mets
LF – Carlos Lee, Brewers
CF – Carlos Beltran, Mets
RF – Vladimir Guerrero, Angels
DH – David Ortiz, Red Sox
SP – Johan Santana, Twins
SP – Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks
SP – Chris Carpenter, Cardinals
SP – Aaron Harang, Reds
SP – John Smoltz, Braves
RP – Francisco Rodriguez, Angles
RP – Joe Nathan, Twins
RP – JJ Putz, Mariners
What’s Coming Up
After the World Series, I’ll have the final power rankings up; it’ll have the final records, Pythagorean records, updated minor league system (with points for league winners and top prospects of each league), and post-season points. I have a stack of books for review, including some fantasy baseball books that had projections; we’ll see which book did the best. After that, I’ll begin work on my HOF project. If you have a player that you think is qualified for the hall, e-mail me and I’ll include them. From there, I’ll have rumors, opinions, and updates.
