Major League Baseball announced the winners of its prestigious awards this week; now, FanHouse is following suit. We voted on winners in five categories (MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Draft Day Bargain, Draft Day Bust), the results of which are revealed below. Remember, this awards show deals strictly in fantasy baseball. I'll also throw in a few awards I'm personally doling out for performances that made the 2009 season what it was.
Fantasy Rookie of the Year
The Candidates
Andrew Bailey, RP, Oakland. The AL Rookie of the Year winner is the only member of our nominees that doesn't hail from the National League. In the preseason, it was undecided whether Joey Devine or Brad Ziegler would close for the A's. Somehow it ended up on Bailey's shoulders, and all he did was notch 26 saves while posting a 1.84 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 91 Ks.
Chris Coghlan, 2B/OF, Florida. The National League Rookie of the year emerged as the new Placido Polanco for his roto teams, hitting .321 in 500-plus at-bats while adding a little bit of power (nine HRs) and speed (eight SBs). Eighty-four runs on that sad-sack team is certainly nothing to sneeze at either.
Tommy Hanson, SP, Atlanta. One of the most touted pitching prospects to come around in ages, Hanson was the rare case of the hype matching the kid. Called up after 11 terrific Triple-A starts, Hanson dominated the competition, earning a 2.89 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 11-4 record in 21 starts with Atlanta. His 116/46 K/BB ratio gives further proof that the talent is real.
J.A. Happ, SP, Philadelphia. Shuffling back-and-forth between starter and reliever, the then-26-year-old Happ compiled a 12-4 record for the NL champion Phillies, amassing a sparkling 2.93 ERA for the season, adding a 1.23 WHIP and 119 Ks in his 166 innings of work. The three complete games (two shutouts) are wonderful for a team that had bullpen problems.
Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pirates. Pittsburgh had Nate McLouth patrolling the outfield, someone whom fans and fantasy players alike loved. After a McLouth trade, we found someone that could fill the role just as well. The youngster ended 2009 with 12 HRs and 22 SBs in 433 ABs, hitting .286 in the process.
And the Housie for Fantasy Rookie of the Year goes to ... Tommy Hanson. In a unanimous decision, Hanson's emergence as possibly the game's best young pitcher was enough to take the Housie home. Bailey finished second in the voting, Happ third, and McCutchen a distant fourth. Coghlan received no votes.
Most Frustrating Player to Own in Fantasy Baseball
Manny Ramirez, OF, Los Angeles. One of your stars gets hurt, you put them on the DL and pick up another player. Manny Ramirez gets suspended, you have one of your best hitters stuck on the bench for 50 games. If you happen to play in a no-bench league, you suddenly have a black hole in one of your outfield spots, collecting zeroes day after day for two months. Hey, it's just another case of Manny being Manny.Fantasy Draft Day Bust
The Candidates
Josh Hamilton, OF, Texas. One year after completing a widely-discussed comeback by hitting 32 HRs and amassing 130 RBIs, Hamilton went right into the tank in 2009. We knew to be cautious of his injury history, and that ended up looming over his head as he hit just .268 and 10 HRs in 336 ABs. Did I mention he was a fringe first-rounder in March?
Brad Lidge, RP, Philadelphia. Talk about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Lidge played a key role in the 2008 Phillies run to the championship, perfect in his 41 save opportunities and lights out with a sub-2.00 ERA. Mr. Hyde came calling this year, as "Lights Out" Lidge became "Lit Up" Lidge, posting a putrid 7.21 ERA and 1.81 WHIP.
Russell Martin, C/3B, Los Angeles. Sure, Martin had the 3B distinction heading into the season, but 99 percent of his owners were felt much better off sticking him behind the plate for their fantasy team. After a few months, they didn't even want to play him there. Martin completely collapsed in 2009, hitting .250 with seven HRs and 11 SBs in 500-plus at-bats.
Grady Sizemore, OF, Cleveland. Roundly considered the best OF option in March drafts, Sizemore was a mid-first round pick in most leagues, which is understandable when a 20/30 season has become routine. Limited by injury, Sizemore's already mediocre average went in the tank as he hit .248 with 18 HRs and just 13 SBs this year.
Alfonso Soriano, OF, Chicago. Topping at least 28 HRs and 18 SBs for the last seven years (even 2008's injury-shortened campaign), Soriano, like Sizemore, was money in the bank to those who drafted him. Unfortunately, those same people needed a bailout as Soriano hit .241 with 20 HRs and nine SBs, even though he had more ABs than in 2008.
Geovany Soto, C, Chicago. Things just never go right for the Cubs, do they? Hailed as fantasy baseball's next great young catcher and coming off a .283-average, 23-HR year, Soto was drafted as high as the fourth or fifth round by some. A .218 average and 11 HRs assured that no one would be making that same mistake again in 2010.
And the Housie for Fantasy Draft Day Bust goes to ... Josh Hamilton. Ten homers and a .268 average from a first-rounder was the death knoll for many a team this year. Sizemore came in second, while my lone first-place vote for Martin gave him third. Hey, I owned both Martin and Hamilton, and the catcher was tougher to replace. The other three candidates picked up a third-place vote each.The Look at the Peripherals Pitcher of the Year
Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP, Boston. Look, the guy gave more walks than the ASPCA in 2008. I know you were entranced by an 18-3 record and a sub-3.00 ERA, but 94 walks? That didn't raise a bit of a red flag? Thanks to injury, Dice-BB was only able to manage 12 starts, where he went 4-6 with a 5.76 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP. Once 2008's absurdly-low 6.9 hits-per-nine innings rate came back up, Matsuzaka's goose was cooked.
Fantasy Cy Young of the Year
The Candidates
Chris Carpenter, SP, St. Louis. When he's on his game, he's a top-five pitcher, but injury after injury has led many owners to consider Carpenter undraftable. Those guys were kicking themselves this year, as he once again proved to be one of the best in the business, turning in a 2.24 ERA and 1.01 WHIP while posting a 17-4 record and a 144/38 K/BB ratio.
Zack Greinke, SP, Kansas City. Toiling away in obscurity by pitching for the Royals, Greinke did enough to win the AL Cy Young award this year. Think about that, and consider the years CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander had pitching for playoff teams. Greinke beat 'em all with a 2.16 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 242 Ks and a 16-8 record for one of baseball's worst teams.
Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle. King Felix has arrived, pitching up to his remarkable talent over the course of a full season for the first time in his young career. The Mariners ace posted a 19-5 record for a non-contender striking out 217 in 238.2 innings while throwing up a 2.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
Tim Lincecum, SP, San Francisco. What would a top pitcher list be without the 2008 and 2009 NL Cy Young award winner? While the Giants made a surprising push at the playoffs, Lincecum was completely dominant yet again, striking out 261 batters in 225.1 innings, winning 15 games and turning in a 2.48 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.
Javier Vazquez, SP, Atlanta. Acquired from Chicago, Vazquez became the next in a long line of elite Braves pitchers acquired from other teams. Escaping the hitter-friendly Cell, Vazquez obliterated the NL, with a 2.87 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 219.1 innings, picking up 238 Ks (while walking just 44 batters) and earning a 15-10 record along the way.
And the Housie for Fantasy Cy Young of the Year goes to ... Tim Lincecum. I know the above numbers look very similar, but was there ever any question? Lincecum was the first pitcher off the board in many leagues, and he came through time and time again. Greinke scored a close second-place finish, while Hernandez (two third-place votes) edged out the other two competitors for third.Injury that Ended Up Not Being a Problem
Chase Utley, 2B, Philadelphia. Remember back in March when we didn't know what to make of Utley's injury? We though for sure he'd miss the first few weeks of the season, and then figured he's take a little time rounding into top form. That dropped him into the second round of many drafts (like A-Rod, who actually did miss the first part of the season). Utley started on Opening Day and delivered 31 HRs, 23 SBs, and a .282 average. So much for that.
Fantasy Draft Day Bargain
The Candidates
Chris Carpenter, SP, St. Louis. We talked about Carpenter's amazing season above, one that fit right in with his amazing stretch between 2004 and 2006. After pitching just 15.1 innings for St. Louis last year, Carpenter was nothing more than a late-round gamble. Anyone that snatched him out of free agency likely finished near the top of the league.
Zack Greinke, SP, Kansas City. He came just shy of winning this year's Fantasy Cy Young award, but Greinke has another shot here. His 2008 campaign, which featured a 3.47 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 183 Ks likely made him a mid-round pick in most leagues, and he turned into one of baseball's few elite pitchers. His early-season run was absurd.
Aaron Hill, 2B, Toronto. A very nice 2007 (19 HRs, .291 average) had Hill on our radars in 2008, but a concussion injury sidelined him most of the year, as he hit just two HRs in 205 at-bats. If you pegged him as a rebound in 2009, congratulations, you were rewarded with 36 HRs and 108 RBIs as well as a .286 average and a few SBs.
Mark Reynolds, 3B/1B, Arizona. Think Ryan Howard, if Howard played a position more scarce of talent and had some faster wheels. Despite breaking his own record for strikeouts in 2009, Reynolds hit 44 homers and stole 24 bases while posting a not-terrible .260 average. I drafted him late as a A-Rod fill-in for the first part the season and obviously stuck with him.
Justin Upton, OF, Arizona. While we sat around and waited for his brother to display the power worthy of B.J.'s high draft slot, Justin came through with a very nice five-category season, hitting .300 while posting 26 HRs and 20 SBs. His run and RBI totals were in the mid-80s, and his 2010 price tag should easily exceed his brother's.
Jayson Werth, OF, Philadelphia. Werth owners likely drafted him as a fourth OF, hoping for some speed mixed in with a little power (he went 24/20 in 2008). Matching the 20 steals, Werth's power bat took off in 2009, and he carried several hot power streaks to a 36-homer total. With nearly 100 runs and 100 RBIs, he was a four-category stud (.268 average).
And the House for Fantasy Draft Day Bargain goes to ... Mark Reynolds. Even with the terrible average, Reynolds did wonders at a position that proved difficult to unearth talent. Greinke came up just short yet again, while Carpenter earned third place in the voting. Hill took fourth. Upton and Werth didn't receive a vote.
Least Productive, Most Anticipated
Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore. The Wieters hype in pre-season 2009 was palpable. People were spending mid-round picks on a guy they knew would spend a couple months on their bench. The Wieters-mania continued throughout the season, as people asked nearly every day when he'd be called up. Dominance was a forgone conclusion. In June, he finally arrived -- and hit just nine HRs in 354 ABs while posting a .288 average. Savior, he was not.Fantasy Most Valuable Player
The Candidates
Tim Lincecum, SP, San Francisco. Our Fantasy Cy Young and the back-to-back NL Cy Young is our first candidate. If you didn't have him in a head-to-head league, you rued facing him. If you did have him, and were somehow able to get one of the breakthrough pitchers listed above, you probably went on to win pitching every week.
Joe Mauer, C, Minnesota. Like Utley, Mauer was faced with an injury heading into the season and required a bit of a gamble by the team that drafted him. That gamble paid off in spades. Mauer discovered his power stroke, hitting 28 homers (over double his previous high) while still posting a huge .365 average. 190 combined runs and RBIs were also golden.
Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis. Baseball's most feared hitter, Pujols was in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 fantasy drafts. You can't put a price on consistent excellence, Prince Albert may have outdone himself this year, combining his high RBI total from 2006 with his steals from 2005 to post a .327/124/47/135/16 line. Long live the Prince.
Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida. Also in the mix for No. 1 overall last year, Ramirez saw a dip in his HR, SB, and run totals. That was supported by a huge rise in average (from .301 to .342) and an equally great rise in RBIs (from 67 to 106). This season didn't quite live up to 2007's, but Hanley owners have nothing to complain about.
Mark Reynolds, 3B/1B, Arizona. Our Fantasy Draft Day Bargain, Reynolds was best served with a few high-average players to pump up that low .260. Do that, and you had the making of a killer lineup. One of 2010's early dilemmas will be regarding how to rank Reynolds for next season. Is this repeatable?And the Housie for Fantasy Most Valuable Player goes to ... Albert Pujols. Of course. Pujols earned unanimous distinction as fantasy's MVP this year. Mauer's catcher-eligible explosion ranked second with our panel, while Ramirez came in third. Reynolds earned fourth, while Lincecum was right behind him.
And there you have it. If you made it to this point, thanks for sticking with us. I hope you enjoyed yourselves! Keep checking in with FanHouse periodically, as we'll keep you abreast of matters of fantasy baseball importance throughout the offseason.
