As always, the first end-of-season column focuses on the fantasy MVPs and LVPs. Awards are given to players that most over- or underperformed according to my preseason projections. I tend to give injured players a break when it comes to LVPs
I also have my real MVP/Cy Young/ROY choices below.
The Fantasy Most Valuable Players
Catchers
MVP - Alex Avila
Projection: .257/.338/.405, 11 HR, 41 R, 43 RBI, 2 SB in 358 AB
2011 stats: .295/.389/.506, 19 HR, 63 R, 82 RBI, 3 SB in 464 AB
More was expected of Avila after he hit just .228/.316/.340 in his first full season in 2010, but a .900 OPS? I had him projected as an above average offensive catcher, but I never thought he'd hit for so much power. He had as many homers in August alone this year that he did in all of 2010 (seven). All in all, he was the game's most productive full-time catcher this year, and it's well worth noting that he's just 24 years old.
Honorable Mention - Mike Napoli, Miguel Montero, Wilson Ramos
2010 Winner - Buster Posey
2009 Winner - Joe Mauer
2008 Winner - Ryan Doumit
2007 Winner - Russell Martin
2006 Winner - Brian McCann
2005 Winner - Brandon Inge
2004 Winner - Craig Wilson
2003 Winner - Javy Lopez
2002 Winner - Eli Marrero
2001 Winner - Paul Lo Duca
2000 Winner - Charles Johnson
1999 Winner - Mike Sweeney
LVP - Joe Mauer
Projection: .323/.411/.483, 14 HR, 91 R, 82 RBI, 3 SB in 520 AB
2011 stats: .287/.360/.368, 3 HR, 38 R, 30 RBI, 0 SB in 296 AB
I am forgiving when it comes to injuries, but Mauer just didn't do his fantasy owners much good even when he was in the lineup. He hit .243 with no homers and nine RBI in 111 at-bats during the first half of the season. He did play a whole lot better in the second half, but the power wasn't there and the struggles of his teammates led to subpar run and RBI totals.
Dishonorable Mention - Jorge Posada, Kurt Suzuki, Geovany Soto
2010 Loser - Matt Wieters
2009 Loser - Russell Martin
2008 Loser - Kenji Johjima
2007 Loser - Ramon Hernandez
2006 Loser - Javy Lopez
2005 Loser - Jason Kendall
2004 Loser - Mike Piazza
2003 Loser - Paul Lo Duca
2002 Loser - Charles Johnson
2001 Loser - Jason Kendall
2000 Loser - Michael Barrett
1999 Loser - Todd Hundley
First Basemen/Designated Hitters
MVP - Mark Trumbo
Projection: .236/.292/.409, 8 HR, 26 R, 30 RBI, 1 SB in 203 AB
2011 stats: .254/.291/.477, 29 HR, 65 R, 87 RBI, 9 SB in 539 AB
Expected to fill in for the injured Kendrys Morales for the first month, Trumbo was instead needed all season long and put together a strong bid for Rookie of the Year honors. The 30-homer power is legitimate, but he always figures to have big problems getting on base, and I'm skeptical that he'll be able to top his 2011 performance going forward. Still, he made a big difference in some fantasy leagues this year.
Honorable Mention - Lance Berkman, David Ortiz, Eric Hosmer
2010 Winner - Joey Votto
2009 Winner - Kendrys Morales
2008 Winner - Aubrey Huff
2007 Winner - Carlos Pena
2006 Winner - Ryan Howard
2005 Winner - Derrek Lee
2004 Winner - Travis Hafner
2003 Winner - Carlos Delgado
2002 Winner - Derrek Lee
2001 Winner - Ryan Klesko
2000 Winner - Frank Thomas
1999 Winner - John Jaha
LVP - Adam Dunn
Projection: .247/.357/.516, 40 HR, 94 R, 111 RBI, 1 SB in 562 AB
2011 stats: .159/.292/.277, 11 HR, 36 R, 42 RBI, 0 SB in 415 AB
What's left to write about Dunn's 2011 season? I expected a slow start as he adjusted to playing in the AL for the first time, but nothing like this. How someone as strong as him could finish with just 11 homers in 415 at-bats is baffling. I think he'll battle back from this and resume showing his usual power this year, though I probably won't project him to hit much better than .230. Fortunately, Dunn can still be something of an asset while hitting .230.
Dishonorable Mention - Aubrey Huff, Vladimir Guerrero, Justin Morneau, Daric Barton
2010 Loser - Lance Berkman
2009 Loser - David Ortiz
2008 Loser - Travis Hafner
2007 Loser - Richie Sexson
2006 Loser - Todd Helton
2005 Loser - Todd Helton
2004 Loser - Jason Giambi
2003 Loser - Paul Konerko
2002 Loser - Tony Clark
2001 Loser - Mark McGwire
2000 Loser - Sean Casey
1999 Loser - Darin Erstad
Second Basemen
MVP - Ben Zobrist
Projection: .251/.353/.399, 15 HR, 87 R, 64 RBI, 22 SB in 562 AB
2011 stats: .269/.353/.469, 20 HR, 99 R, 91 RBI, 19 SB in 588 AB
There were no big surprises at second base this year, so I'll give the nod to Zobrist, who exceeded his projection a little more than Dustin Pedroia and Ian Kinsler did theirs. Zobrist basically hit right at the midpoint of his exceptional 2009 season and his very disappointing 2010 campaign. His batting average was .269, about midway between his .297 and .238 marks the previous two years. His .822 OPS was also nearly equidistant from his previous .948 and .699 marks.
Honorable Mention - Dustin Pedroia, Ian Kinsler, Jemile Weeks
2010 Winner - Rickie Weeks
2009 Winner - Aaron Hill
2008 Winner - Dustin Pedroia
2007 Winner - Brandon Phillips
2006 Winner - Dan Uggla
2005 Winner - Chone Figgins
2004 Winner - Mark Loretta
2003 Winner - Marcus Giles
2002 Winner - Alfonso Soriano
2001 Winner - Bret Boone
2000 Winner - Jose Vidro
1999 Winner - Roberto Alomar
LVP - Chone Figgins
Projection: .270/.356/.332, 2 HR, 82 R, 37 RBI, 37 SB in 566 AB
2011 stats: .188/.241/.243, 1 HR, 24 R, 15 RBI, 11 SB in 288 AB
I was higher on Kelly Johnson and Aaron Hill going in, so one of them probably would have been the choice if not for the fact that both broke out of season-long slumps after being traded for one another in August. Figgins was obviously a big disappointment in his first year in Seattle too, but even then, he did hit .259 with 42 steals. How bad was he in 2011? He finished with the same exact OPS as Jeff Mathis.
Dishonorable Mention - Kelly Johnson, Aaron Hill, Bill Hall
2010 Loser - Aaron Hill
2009 Loser - Kelly Johnson
2008 Loser - Robinson Cano
2007 Loser - Josh Barfield
2006 Loser - Jorge Cantu
2005 Loser - Bret Boone
2004 Loser - Alfonso Soriano
2003 Loser - Roberto Alomar
2002 Loser - Roberto Alomar
2001 Loser - Edgardo Alfonzo
2000 Loser - Jose Offerman
1999 Loser - Delino DeShields
Third Basemen
MVP - Jose Bautista
Projection: .265/.372/.533, 37 HR, 95 R, 103 RBI, 6 SB in 563 AB
2011 stats: .302/.447/.608, 43 HR, 105 R, 103 RBI, 9 SB in 513 AB
Emilio Bonifacio and Ryan Roberts were big surprises at third base this year and Michael Young set new career highs in average and RBI at age 34, but there wasn't any passing over Bautista here. Those who gambled that Bautista was anything but a one-year wonder were rewarded handsomely, as he raised his average from .260 in 2010 to .302 this year and again led the majors in homers. I'll probably project an average in the .280-.285 range, another 40 homers and a higher RBI total next year.
Honorable Mention - Emilio Bonifacio, Michael Young, Ryan Roberts
2010 Winner - Jose Bautista
2009 Winner - Mark Reynolds
2008 Winner - Jorge Cantu
2007 Winner - Ryan Braun
2006 Winner - Michael Cuddyer
2005 Winner - Morgan Ensberg
2004 Winner - Adrian Beltre
2003 Winner - Bill Mueller
2002 Winner - Aaron Boone
2001 Winner - Albert Pujols
2000 Winner - Troy Glaus
1999 Winner - Fernando Tatis
LVP - Pedro Alvarez
Projection: .252/.331/.482, 30 HR, 81 R, 96 RBI, 3 SB in 548 AB
2011 stats: .191/.272/.289, 4 HR, 18 R, 19 RBI, 1 SB in 235 AB
Third base was also full of disappointments this year, as Evan Longoria, Alex Rodriguez, David Wright and Ryan Zimmerman all battled injuries and fell short of expectations while healthy. Still, Alvarez's complete bust of a year probably tops them all. I wasn't all that confident that Alvarez would maintain or improve on his .256 average from his rookie season, but I thought he was a good bet to hit around 30 homers. Instead, he came in at four, leaving his immediate future in serious doubt. The Pirates should have him open 2012 back in Triple-A.
Dishonorable Mention - Evan Longoria, Ian Stewart, David Wright
2010 Loser - Pablo Sandoval
2009 Loser - Garrett Atkins
2008 Loser - Chone Figgins
2007 Loser - Eric Chavez
2006 Loser - Hank Blalock
2005 Loser - Adrian Beltre
2004 Loser - Eric Hinske
2003 Loser - Edgardo Alfonzo
2002 Loser - Jeff Cirillo
2001 Loser - Tony Batista
2000 Loser - Vinny Castilla
1999 Loser - Ken Caminiti
Shortstops
MVP - Asdrubal Cabrera
Projection: .293/.354/.415, 9 HR, 83 R, 63 RBI, 11 SB in 557 AB
2011 stats: .273/.332/.460, 25 HR, 87 R, 92 RBI, 17 SB in 604 AB
It was a very different kind of comeback season for Cabrera, who saw his OPS drop from .799 in 2009 to .673 during an injury-plagued 2010. Cabrera was a career .284 hitter with 18 homers in 1,415 at-bats entering 2011. There was always the suspicion that he'd add some power with age, but to go from three homers to 25 in one year was quite a feat. He also matched his career high for steals.
Honorable Mention - J.J. Hardy, Jose Reyes, Starlin Castro, Jhonny Peralta
2010 Winner - Omar Infante
2009 Winner - Ben Zobrist
2008 Winner - Mike Aviles
2007 Winner - Hanley Ramirez
2006 Winner - Hanley Ramirez
2005 Winner - Felipe Lopez
2004 Winner - Carlos Guillen
2003 Winner - Edgar Renteria
2002 Winner - David Eckstein
2001 Winner - Rich Aurilia
2000 Winner - Jose Valentin
1999 Winner - Jay Bell
LVP - Hanley Ramirez
Projection: .317/.398/.533, 27 HR, 104 R, 93 RBI, 30 SB in 559 AB
2011 stats: .243/.333/.379, 10 HR, 55 R, 45 RBI, 20 SB in 338 AB
It looked like Ramirez might salvage his season when he rebounded to hit .293 with five homers and 21 RBI in July, but he played just two games afterwards because of a shoulder injury. Now, I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to injuries, but Ramirez's awful first three months take precedence here. He hit .221 with five homers and 24 RBI in 231 at-bats through the end of June.
Dishonorable Mention - Reid Brignac, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Rafael Furcal
2010 Loser - Yunel Escobar
2009 Loser - Jimmy Rollins
2008 Loser - Troy Tulowitzki
2007 Loser - Bill Hall
2006 Loser - Clint Barmes
2005 Loser - Kaz Matsui
2004 Loser - Angel Berroa
2003 Loser - Jose Hernandez
2002 Loser - Rich Aurilia
2001 Loser - Tony Womack
2000 Loser - Royce Clayton
1999 Loser - Royce Clayton
As always, the first end-of-season column focuses on the fantasy MVPs and LVPs. Awards are given to players that most over- or underperformed according to my preseason projections. I tend to give injured players a break when it comes to LVPs
I also have my real MVP/Cy Young/ROY choices below.
The Fantasy Most Valuable Players
Catchers
MVP - Alex Avila
Projection: .257/.338/.405, 11 HR, 41 R, 43 RBI, 2 SB in 358 AB
2011 stats: .295/.389/.506, 19 HR, 63 R, 82 RBI, 3 SB in 464 AB
More was expected of Avila after he hit just .228/.316/.340 in his first full season in 2010, but a .900 OPS? I had him projected as an above average offensive catcher, but I never thought he'd hit for so much power. He had as many homers in August alone this year that he did in all of 2010 (seven). All in all, he was the game's most productive full-time catcher this year, and it's well worth noting that he's just 24 years old.
Honorable Mention - Mike Napoli, Miguel Montero, Wilson Ramos
2010 Winner - Buster Posey
2009 Winner - Joe Mauer
2008 Winner - Ryan Doumit
2007 Winner - Russell Martin
2006 Winner - Brian McCann
2005 Winner - Brandon Inge
2004 Winner - Craig Wilson
2003 Winner - Javy Lopez
2002 Winner - Eli Marrero
2001 Winner - Paul Lo Duca
2000 Winner - Charles Johnson
1999 Winner - Mike Sweeney
LVP - Joe Mauer
Projection: .323/.411/.483, 14 HR, 91 R, 82 RBI, 3 SB in 520 AB
2011 stats: .287/.360/.368, 3 HR, 38 R, 30 RBI, 0 SB in 296 AB
I am forgiving when it comes to injuries, but Mauer just didn't do his fantasy owners much good even when he was in the lineup. He hit .243 with no homers and nine RBI in 111 at-bats during the first half of the season. He did play a whole lot better in the second half, but the power wasn't there and the struggles of his teammates led to subpar run and RBI totals.
Dishonorable Mention - Jorge Posada, Kurt Suzuki, Geovany Soto
2010 Loser - Matt Wieters
2009 Loser - Russell Martin
2008 Loser - Kenji Johjima
2007 Loser - Ramon Hernandez
2006 Loser - Javy Lopez
2005 Loser - Jason Kendall
2004 Loser - Mike Piazza
2003 Loser - Paul Lo Duca
2002 Loser - Charles Johnson
2001 Loser - Jason Kendall
2000 Loser - Michael Barrett
1999 Loser - Todd Hundley
First Basemen/Designated Hitters
MVP - Mark Trumbo
Projection: .236/.292/.409, 8 HR, 26 R, 30 RBI, 1 SB in 203 AB
2011 stats: .254/.291/.477, 29 HR, 65 R, 87 RBI, 9 SB in 539 AB
Expected to fill in for the injured Kendrys Morales for the first month, Trumbo was instead needed all season long and put together a strong bid for Rookie of the Year honors. The 30-homer power is legitimate, but he always figures to have big problems getting on base, and I'm skeptical that he'll be able to top his 2011 performance going forward. Still, he made a big difference in some fantasy leagues this year.
Honorable Mention - Lance Berkman, David Ortiz, Eric Hosmer
2010 Winner - Joey Votto
2009 Winner - Kendrys Morales
2008 Winner - Aubrey Huff
2007 Winner - Carlos Pena
2006 Winner - Ryan Howard
2005 Winner - Derrek Lee
2004 Winner - Travis Hafner
2003 Winner - Carlos Delgado
2002 Winner - Derrek Lee
2001 Winner - Ryan Klesko
2000 Winner - Frank Thomas
1999 Winner - John Jaha
LVP - Adam Dunn
Projection: .247/.357/.516, 40 HR, 94 R, 111 RBI, 1 SB in 562 AB
2011 stats: .159/.292/.277, 11 HR, 36 R, 42 RBI, 0 SB in 415 AB
What's left to write about Dunn's 2011 season? I expected a slow start as he adjusted to playing in the AL for the first time, but nothing like this. How someone as strong as him could finish with just 11 homers in 415 at-bats is baffling. I think he'll battle back from this and resume showing his usual power this year, though I probably won't project him to hit much better than .230. Fortunately, Dunn can still be something of an asset while hitting .230.
Dishonorable Mention - Aubrey Huff, Vladimir Guerrero, Justin Morneau, Daric Barton
2010 Loser - Lance Berkman
2009 Loser - David Ortiz
2008 Loser - Travis Hafner
2007 Loser - Richie Sexson
2006 Loser - Todd Helton
2005 Loser - Todd Helton
2004 Loser - Jason Giambi
2003 Loser - Paul Konerko
2002 Loser - Tony Clark
2001 Loser - Mark McGwire
2000 Loser - Sean Casey
1999 Loser - Darin Erstad
Second Basemen
MVP - Ben Zobrist
Projection: .251/.353/.399, 15 HR, 87 R, 64 RBI, 22 SB in 562 AB
2011 stats: .269/.353/.469, 20 HR, 99 R, 91 RBI, 19 SB in 588 AB
There were no big surprises at second base this year, so I'll give the nod to Zobrist, who exceeded his projection a little more than Dustin Pedroia and Ian Kinsler did theirs. Zobrist basically hit right at the midpoint of his exceptional 2009 season and his very disappointing 2010 campaign. His batting average was .269, about midway between his .297 and .238 marks the previous two years. His .822 OPS was also nearly equidistant from his previous .948 and .699 marks.
Honorable Mention - Dustin Pedroia, Ian Kinsler, Jemile Weeks
2010 Winner - Rickie Weeks
2009 Winner - Aaron Hill
2008 Winner - Dustin Pedroia
2007 Winner - Brandon Phillips
2006 Winner - Dan Uggla
2005 Winner - Chone Figgins
2004 Winner - Mark Loretta
2003 Winner - Marcus Giles
2002 Winner - Alfonso Soriano
2001 Winner - Bret Boone
2000 Winner - Jose Vidro
1999 Winner - Roberto Alomar
LVP - Chone Figgins
Projection: .270/.356/.332, 2 HR, 82 R, 37 RBI, 37 SB in 566 AB
2011 stats: .188/.241/.243, 1 HR, 24 R, 15 RBI, 11 SB in 288 AB
I was higher on Kelly Johnson and Aaron Hill going in, so one of them probably would have been the choice if not for the fact that both broke out of season-long slumps after being traded for one another in August. Figgins was obviously a big disappointment in his first year in Seattle too, but even then, he did hit .259 with 42 steals. How bad was he in 2011? He finished with the same exact OPS as Jeff Mathis.
Dishonorable Mention - Kelly Johnson, Aaron Hill, Bill Hall
2010 Loser - Aaron Hill
2009 Loser - Kelly Johnson
2008 Loser - Robinson Cano
2007 Loser - Josh Barfield
2006 Loser - Jorge Cantu
2005 Loser - Bret Boone
2004 Loser - Alfonso Soriano
2003 Loser - Roberto Alomar
2002 Loser - Roberto Alomar
2001 Loser - Edgardo Alfonzo
2000 Loser - Jose Offerman
1999 Loser - Delino DeShields
Third Basemen
MVP - Jose Bautista
Projection: .265/.372/.533, 37 HR, 95 R, 103 RBI, 6 SB in 563 AB
2011 stats: .302/.447/.608, 43 HR, 105 R, 103 RBI, 9 SB in 513 AB
Emilio Bonifacio and Ryan Roberts were big surprises at third base this year and Michael Young set new career highs in average and RBI at age 34, but there wasn't any passing over Bautista here. Those who gambled that Bautista was anything but a one-year wonder were rewarded handsomely, as he raised his average from .260 in 2010 to .302 this year and again led the majors in homers. I'll probably project an average in the .280-.285 range, another 40 homers and a higher RBI total next year.
Honorable Mention - Emilio Bonifacio, Michael Young, Ryan Roberts
2010 Winner - Jose Bautista
2009 Winner - Mark Reynolds
2008 Winner - Jorge Cantu
2007 Winner - Ryan Braun
2006 Winner - Michael Cuddyer
2005 Winner - Morgan Ensberg
2004 Winner - Adrian Beltre
2003 Winner - Bill Mueller
2002 Winner - Aaron Boone
2001 Winner - Albert Pujols
2000 Winner - Troy Glaus
1999 Winner - Fernando Tatis
LVP - Pedro Alvarez
Projection: .252/.331/.482, 30 HR, 81 R, 96 RBI, 3 SB in 548 AB
2011 stats: .191/.272/.289, 4 HR, 18 R, 19 RBI, 1 SB in 235 AB
Third base was also full of disappointments this year, as Evan Longoria, Alex Rodriguez, David Wright and Ryan Zimmerman all battled injuries and fell short of expectations while healthy. Still, Alvarez's complete bust of a year probably tops them all. I wasn't all that confident that Alvarez would maintain or improve on his .256 average from his rookie season, but I thought he was a good bet to hit around 30 homers. Instead, he came in at four, leaving his immediate future in serious doubt. The Pirates should have him open 2012 back in Triple-A.
Dishonorable Mention - Evan Longoria, Ian Stewart, David Wright
2010 Loser - Pablo Sandoval
2009 Loser - Garrett Atkins
2008 Loser - Chone Figgins
2007 Loser - Eric Chavez
2006 Loser - Hank Blalock
2005 Loser - Adrian Beltre
2004 Loser - Eric Hinske
2003 Loser - Edgardo Alfonzo
2002 Loser - Jeff Cirillo
2001 Loser - Tony Batista
2000 Loser - Vinny Castilla
1999 Loser - Ken Caminiti
Shortstops
MVP - Asdrubal Cabrera
Projection: .293/.354/.415, 9 HR, 83 R, 63 RBI, 11 SB in 557 AB
2011 stats: .273/.332/.460, 25 HR, 87 R, 92 RBI, 17 SB in 604 AB
It was a very different kind of comeback season for Cabrera, who saw his OPS drop from .799 in 2009 to .673 during an injury-plagued 2010. Cabrera was a career .284 hitter with 18 homers in 1,415 at-bats entering 2011. There was always the suspicion that he'd add some power with age, but to go from three homers to 25 in one year was quite a feat. He also matched his career high for steals.
Honorable Mention - J.J. Hardy, Jose Reyes, Starlin Castro, Jhonny Peralta
2010 Winner - Omar Infante
2009 Winner - Ben Zobrist
2008 Winner - Mike Aviles
2007 Winner - Hanley Ramirez
2006 Winner - Hanley Ramirez
2005 Winner - Felipe Lopez
2004 Winner - Carlos Guillen
2003 Winner - Edgar Renteria
2002 Winner - David Eckstein
2001 Winner - Rich Aurilia
2000 Winner - Jose Valentin
1999 Winner - Jay Bell
LVP - Hanley Ramirez
Projection: .317/.398/.533, 27 HR, 104 R, 93 RBI, 30 SB in 559 AB
2011 stats: .243/.333/.379, 10 HR, 55 R, 45 RBI, 20 SB in 338 AB
It looked like Ramirez might salvage his season when he rebounded to hit .293 with five homers and 21 RBI in July, but he played just two games afterwards because of a shoulder injury. Now, I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to injuries, but Ramirez's awful first three months take precedence here. He hit .221 with five homers and 24 RBI in 231 at-bats through the end of June.
Dishonorable Mention - Reid Brignac, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Rafael Furcal
2010 Loser - Yunel Escobar
2009 Loser - Jimmy Rollins
2008 Loser - Troy Tulowitzki
2007 Loser - Bill Hall
2006 Loser - Clint Barmes
2005 Loser - Kaz Matsui
2004 Loser - Angel Berroa
2003 Loser - Jose Hernandez
2002 Loser - Rich Aurilia
2001 Loser - Tony Womack
2000 Loser - Royce Clayton
1999 Loser - Royce Clayton
Outfielders
MVPs - Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Kemp, Melky Cabrera
Ellsbury's Projection: .294/.351/.418, 11 HR, 96 R, 56 RBI, 51 SB in 574 AB
Ellsbury's 2011 stats: .321/.376/.552, 32 HR, 119 R, 105 RBI, 39 SB in 660 AB
Kemp's Projection: .290/.349/.512, 31 HR, 96 R, 99 RBI, 27 SB in 607 AB
Kemp's 2011 stats: .324/.399/.586, 39 HR, 115 R, 126 RBI, 40 SB in 602 AB
Cabrera's Projection: .272/.326/.389, 7 HR, 50 R, 51 RBI, 9 SB in 404 AB
Cabrera's 2011 stats: .305/.339/.470, 18 HR, 102 R, 87 RBI, 20 SB in 658 AB
This was the toughest call of the MVPs, as there were seven outfielders worth rewarding. I had Kemp fourth and Ellsbury sixth among outfielders going in, but they simply blew away my projections, and since they were top-five overall players, I had to give them the nod. That left just one spot for the trio of Royals outfielders, Curtis Granderson and Michael Morse. I went with Cabrera over Granderson for the last spot, largely because I had Cabrera listed as a $3 player going in (he was my No. 88 outfielder, while Alex Gordon was No. 66 and Jeff Francoeur was No. 84).
Honorable Mention - Curtis Granderson, Michael Morse, Alex Gordon, Jeff Francoeur
2010 Winners - Carlos Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Angel Pagan
2009 Winners - Adam Lind, Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Kemp
2008 Winners - Ryan Ludwick, Josh Hamilton, Nate McLouth
2007 Winners - Magglio Ordonez, Curtis Granderson, Eric Byrnes
2006 Winners - Jermaine Dye, Gary Matthews Jr., Matt Holliday
2005 Winners - Grady Sizemore, Jason Bay, Andruw Jones
2004 Winners - Jim Edmonds, J.D. Drew, Aaron Rowand, Jeromy Burnitz
2003 Winners - Gary Sheffield, Scott Podsednik, Vernon Wells
2002 Winners - Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero, Garret Anderson
2001 Winners - Ichiro Suzuki, Barry Bonds, Cliff Floyd
2000 Winners - Darin Erstad, Richard Hidalgo, John Vander Wal
1999 Winners - Brian Giles, Luis Gonzalez, Roger Cedeno
LVPs - Carl Crawford, Alex Rios, Jason Heyward
Crawford's Projection: .309/.360/.474, 16 HR, 108 R, 82 RBI, 38 SB in 593 AB
Crawford's 2011 stats: .255/.289/.405, 11 HR, 65 R, 56 RBI, 18 SB in 506 AB
Rios' Projection: .282/.335/.462, 22 HR, 78 R, 83 RBI, 26 SB in 571 AB
Rios' 2011 stats: .227/.265/.348, 13 HR, 64 R, 44 RBI, 11 SB in 537 AB
Heyward's Projection: .287/.395/.519, 27 HR, 87 R, 91 RBI, 14 SB in 540 AB
Heyward's 2011 stats: .227/.319/.389, 14 HR, 50 R, 42 RBI, 9 SB in 396 AB
There were two no-brainers here. I gave Heyward the last spot over Vernon Wells, Delmon Young, Jayson Werth and Jason Bay because I was quite a bit higher on him than the others. Shin-Soo Choo is another who rates a mention, though injuries did play a role there. And I would be remiss not to throw Manny Ramirez's name into the ring, just because.
Crawford probably rates as the overall LVP for the year. He wasn't the worst player or really even close to it, but guys like Dunn, Rios and Wells weren't first-round picks in fantasy leagues.
Dishonorable Mention - Delmon Young, Ichiro Suzuki, Vernon Wells, Jayson Werth
2010 Losers - Matt Kemp, Adam Lind, Carlos Lee
2009 Losers - Manny Ramirez, B.J. Upton, Alfonso Soriano
2008 Losers - Andruw Jones, Jeff Francoeur, Carl Crawford
2007 Losers - Jason Bay, Andruw Jones, Jermaine Dye
2006 Losers - Jason Lane, Randy Winn, Scott Podsednik
2005 Losers - Carlos Beltran, Sammy Sosa, Corey Patterson
2004 Losers - Sammy Sosa, Marlon Byrd, Brian Giles
2003 Losers - Pat Burrell, Shawn Green, Larry Walker
2002 Losers - Ken Griffey Jr., Juan Pierre, Richard Hidalgo
2001 Losers - Richard Hidalgo, Darin Erstad, Carl Everett
2000 Losers - Ken Griffey Jr., Juan Gonzalez, Carlos Beltran
1999 Losers - Jose Cruz Jr., Kenny Lofton, Ray Lankford
Starting Pitchers
MVPs - Justin Verlander, Ian Kennedy, James Shields, Clayton Kershaw, Doug Fister
Verlander's Projection: 16-8, 3.51 ERA, 1.224 WHIP, 202 K in 210 IP
Verlander's 2011 stats: 24-5, 2.40 ERA, 0.920 WHIP, 250 K in 251 IP
Kennedy's Projection: 11-11, 4.09 ERA, 1.265 WHIP, 167 K in 196 IP
Kennedy's 2011 stats: 21-4, 2.88 ERA, 1.086 WHIP, 198 K in 222 IP
Shields' Projection: 13-12, 4.12 ERA, 1.273 WHIP, 172 K in 209 2/3 IP
Shields' 2011 stats: 16-12, 2.82 ERA, 1.042 WHIP, 225 K in 249 1/3 IP
Kershaw's Projection: 15-8, 2.97 ERA, 1.212 WHIP, 205 K in 199 2/3 IP
Kershaw's 2011 stats: 21-5, 2.28 ERA, 0.977 WHIP, 248 K in 233 1/3 IP
Fister's Projection: 8-10, 4.38 ERA, 1.325 WHIP, 99 K in 176 2/3 IP
Fister's 2011 stats: 11-13, 2.83 ERA, 1.063 WHIP, 146 K in 216 1/3 IP
The Cy Youngs for Verlander and Kershaw will be well deserved, though one can make an argument for Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee in the NL. I didn't think Kennedy had this kind of season in him, though I liked him for his WHIP and strikeout rate. Shields' WHIP had gone from 1.11 to 1.15 to 1.32 to 1.46. It seemed clear that his poor 2010 -- he had a 5.18 ERA -- was partially the function of bad luck, but he had never been nearly this good before.
Fister, though, was the biggest surprise of them all. After his strong start in 2010, he had a 5.09 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP in 86 2/3 innings in the second half. I thought he was all Safeco, and if he had been traded to Detroit in the spring rather than the summer, even that modest projection would have taken a hit. That he went 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA after joining the Tigers baffles me as much as anything else that happened this season.
Honorable Mention - Ryan Vogelsong, Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Ricky Romero, Kyle Lohse
2010 Winners - Mat Latos, Trevor Cahill, David Price, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jered Weaver
2009 Winners - Zack Greinke, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Wandy Rodriguez, Joel Pineiro
2008 Winners - Clff Lee, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Dempster, Ervin Santana, Roy Halladay
2007 Winners - Fausto Carmona, Josh Beckett, Aaron Harang, James Shields, Erik Bedard
2006 Winners - Bronson Arroyo, Brandon Webb, Francisco Liriano, Aaron Harang, Justin Verlander
2005 Winners - Chris Carpenter, Dontrelle Willis, Andy Pettitte, Cliff Lee, John Patterson
2004 Winners - Johan Santana, Ben Sheets, Carl Pavano, Oliver Perez, Chris Carpenter
2003 Winners - Esteban Loaiza, Jason Schmidt, Livan Hernandez, Brandon Webb, Roy Halladay
2002 Winners - Odalis Perez, Derek Lowe, Matt Clement, Tim Wakefield, Roy Halladay
2001 Winners - Mark Mulder, Joe Mays, John Burkett, Mark Buehrle, Roy Oswalt
2000 Winners - Ryan Dempster, Jeff D’Amico, Glendon Rusch, Darryl Kile, Chan Ho Park
1999 Winners - Mike Hampton, Todd Ritchie, Tim Hudson, Kevin Millwood, Jose Lima
LVPs - Brian Matusz, Ubaldo Jimenez, Francisco Liriano, Ricky Nolasco, Chad Billingsley
Matusz's Projection: 12-11, 3.96 ERA, 1.257 WHIP, 169 K in 195 2/3 IP
Matusz's 2011 stats: 1-9, 10.69 ERA, 2.114 WHIP, 38 K in 49 2/3 IP
Jimenez's Projection: 16-8, 3.53 ERA, 1.241 WHIP, 185 K in 206 1/3 IP
Jimenez's 2011 stats: 10-13, 4.68 ERA, 1.402 WHIP, 180 K in 188 1/3 IP
Liriano's Projection: 15-7, 3.36 ERA, 1.244 WHIP, 190 K in 187 1/3 IP
Liriano's 2011 stats: 9-10, 5.09 ERA, 1.489 WHIP, 112 K in 134 1/3 IP
Nolasco's Projection: 13-9, 3.81 ERA, 1.203 WHIP, 180 K in 198 2/3 IP
Nolasco's 2011 stats: 10-12, 4.67 ERA, 1.398 WHIP, 148 K in 206 IP
Billingsley's Projection: 14-10, 3.46 ERA, 1.296 WHIP, 179 K in 203 IP
Billingsley's 2011 stats: 11-11, 4.21 ERA, 1.452 WHIP, 152 K in 188 IP
None of my top 15 pitchers had hugely disappointing performances, but Nos. 16 (Jimenez), 19 (Liriano), 26 (Billingsley), 27 (Liriano) and 46 (Matusz) all fell well short of expectations. I think Jimenez is the best bet of the group to bounce back next year. It's just a hunch, but I see his fastball coming back a bit and I suspect he'll post an ERA in the mid-3.00s for Cleveland next year. I'm truly worried about Matusz. He rates a $0 pitcher for 2012 right now.
Dishonorable Mention - Max Scherzer, Mat Latos, Felix Hernandez, Phil Hughes, John Lackey
2010 Losers - Zack Greinke, Josh Beckett, Tim Lincecum, Javier Vazquez, A.J. Burnett
2009 Losers - Francisco Liriano, Cole Hamels, Joba Chamberlain, Derek Lowe, Daisuke Matsuzaka
2008 Losers - Justin Verlander, Fausto Carmona, Pedro Martinez, Ian Snell, Rich Hill
2007 Losers - Jeremy Bonderman, Mike Mussina, Dontrelle Willis, Jose Contreras, Scott Olsen
2006 Losers - Mark Buehrle, Tim Hudson, Felix Hernandez, Dontrelle Willis, Odalis Perez
2005 Losers - Oliver Perez, Curt Schilling, Tim Hudson, Zack Greinke, Eric Milton
2004 Losers - Esteban Loaiza, Barry Zito, Jose Contreras, Jamie Moyer, Javier Vazquez
2003 Losers - Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson, Ramon Ortiz, Freddy Garcia, Derek Lowe
2002 Losers - Chan Ho Park, Freddy Garcia, Bud Smith, Brad Penny, Javier Vazquez
2001 Losers - Scott Elarton, Livan Hernandez, Kevin Millwood, Bartolo Colon, Dave Burba
2000 Losers - Jose Lima, Ramon Martinez, David Cone, Omar Daal, Kevin Millwood
1999 Losers - Roger Clemens, Jeff Fassero, Chan Ho Park, Tom Glavine, Brett Tomko
Relief Pitchers
MVPs - Craig Kimbrel, Fernando Salas, Brandon League, Jordan Walden
Kimbrel's Projection: 3-3, 17 Sv, 3.50 ERA, 1.290 WHIP, 83 K in 64 1/3 IP
Kimbrel's 2011 stats: 4-3, 46 Sv, 2.10 ERA, 1.039 WHIP, 127 K in 77 IP
Salas' Projection: 2-2, 0 Sv, 4.08 ERA, 1.317 WHIP, 41 K in 46 1/3 IP
Salas' 2011 stats: 5-6, 24 Sv, 2.28 ERA, 0.947 WHIP, 75 K in 75 IP
League's Projection: 6-5, 8 Sv, 3.44 ERA, 1.231 WHIP, 60 K in 70 2/3 IP
League's 2011 stats: 1-5, 37 Sv, 2.79 ERA, 1.076 WHIP, 45 K in 61 1/3 IP
Walden's Projection: 4-2, 9 Sv, 3.48 ERA, 1.307 WHIP, 65 K in 67 1/3 IP
Walden's 2011 stats: 5-5, 32 Sv, 2.98 ERA, 1.243 WHIP, 67 K in 60 1/3 IP
My thought was that Jonny Venters would likely start the season getting most of the save chances in Atlanta, with Kimbrel eventually taking over in the second half. Of course, Kimbrel owned the role from day one and the rest is history.
Honorable Mention - Ryan Madson, John Axford, Joel Hanrahan, Sergio Santos, Javy Guerra
2010 Winners - Neftali Feliz, John Axford, Rafael Soriano, Chris Perez
2009 Winners - Andrew Bailey, David Aardsma, Ryan Franklin, Rafael Soriano
2008 Winners - Brad Lidge, Kerry Wood, Brian Fuentes, Francisco Rodriguez
2007 Winners - Jeremy Accardo, Takashi Saito, Kevin Gregg, Manuel Corpas
2006 Winners - J.J. Putz, Jonathan Papelbon, Takashi Saito, Akinori Otsuka
2005 Winners - Chad Cordero, Derrick Turnbow, Huston Street, Todd Jones, Bob Wickman
2004 Winners - Brad Lidge, Joe Nathan, Jose Mesa, Shingo Takatsu
2003 Winners - Eric Gagne, Tim Worrell, Joe Borowski, Guillermo Mota
2002 Winners - Eric Gagne, Juan Acevedo, Byung-Hyun Kim, Octavio Dotel
2001 Winners - Byung-Hyun Kim, Jeff Zimmerman, Octavio Dotel, Jose Mesa
2000 Winners - Keith Foulke, Robb Nen, Gabe White
1999 Winners - Scott Williamson, Billy Koch, John Rocker
LVPs - Matt Thornton, Joakim Soria, Ryan Franklin, Neftali Feliz
Thornton's Projection: 3-3, 28 Sv, 2.92 ERA, 1.113 WHIP, 73 K in 64 2/3 IP
Thornton's 2011 stats: 2-5, 3 Sv, 3.32 ERA, 1.358 WHIP, 63 K in 59 2/3 IP
Soria's Projection: 3-3, 37 Sv, 2.57 ERA, 1.035 WHIP, 72 K in 66 2/3 IP
Soria's 2011 stats: 5-5, 28 Sv, 4.03 ERA, 1.276 WHIP, 60 K in 60 1/3 IP
Franklin's Projection: 4-3, 30 Sv, 3.82 ERA, 1.257 WHIP, 40 K in 63 2/3 IP
Franklin's 2011 stats: 1-4, 1 Sv, 8.46 ERA, 1.843 WHIP, 17 K in 27 2/3 IP
Feliz's Projection: 4-4,. 38 Sv, 2.75 ERA, 0.990 WHIP, 77 K in 68 2/3 IP
Feliz's 2011 stats: 2-3, 32 Sv, 2.74 ERA, 1.155 WHIP, 54 K in 62 1/3 IP
The LVPs were a tougher call than usual this year, as it was injuries, rather than poor performance, that led to closing jobs opening up. Obviously, Franklin is one notable exception there, but then, I had him projected for the highest ERA of any closer besides Brad Lidge and Kevin Gregg. Francisco Rodriguez is another exception, but I'm not including him; it's not his fault the Mets wanted to dump his salary.
Soria was the biggest disappointment of the top closers. I was probably expecting too much too soon from Feliz, who ended up having a perfectly fine season. The main reason he shows up here is that I had him ranked as the No. 1 closer.
Dishonorable Mention - Carlos Marmol, Joe Nathan, Leo Nunez
2010 Losers - Chad Qualls, Jonathan Broxton, Trevor Hoffman, Bobby Jenks
2009 Losers - B.J. Ryan, Brad Lidge, Brandon Morrow, Matt Capps
2008 Losers - Jason Isringhausen, Manuel Corpas, J.J. Putz, Huston Street
2007 Losers - Tom Gordon, Salomon Torres, Jorge Julio, Bob Wickman
2006 Losers - Derrick Turnbow, Brad Lidge, Ryan Dempster, Armando Benitez
2005 Losers - Danny Kolb, Danny Graves, Guillermo Mota, Keith Foulke
2004 Losers - Arthur Rhodes, Joe Borowski, Shawn Chacon, David Riske
2003 Losers - Billy Koch, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Armando Benitez, Jose Mesa
2002 Losers - Keith Foulke, Scott Strickland, Armando Benitez, Antonio Alfonseca
2001 Losers - Todd Jones, John Rocker, Billy Koch, Dave Veres
2000 Losers - Bob Howry, Scott Williamson, John Rocker, Billy Wagner
1999 Losers - Rod Beck, Jeff Montgomery, Rick Aguilera, Gregg Olson
Continue to the MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year selections.