This article is about the 2005 Major League Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see
2005 in baseball .
Sports season
The 2005 Major League Baseball season was notable for the league's new steroid policy in the wake of the BALCO scandal, which enforced harsher penalties than ever before for steroid use in Major League Baseball. Several players, including veteran Rafael Palmeiro , were suspended under the new policy. Besides the cracking down on steroids, it was also notable that every team in the NL East finished the season with at least 81 wins (at least half of the 162 games played). Additionally it was the first season featuring a baseball team in Washington, D.C. since the second iteration of the Washington Senators last played there in 1971; the Washington Nationals had moved from Montreal, the first relocation of a team in 33 years .
The Anaheim Angels changed their name to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim .
The season ended when the Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros in a four-game sweep in the World Series , winning their first championship since 1917.
This was the last season in which no no-hit games were pitched until 2025 ; 2005 was also only the 6th year since 1949 in which no such games were thrown.[a]
This was the first season since 1993 that all teams played at least 162 games with no cancellations.
Note: Two teams in the same division could not meet in the division series.
Statistical leaders [ edit ] ±hosted the MLB All Star Game
Player of the Month [ edit ] Pitcher of the Month [ edit ] Rookie of the Month [ edit ] Home field attendance and payroll [ edit ]
Team name
Wins
%±
Home attendance
%±
Per game
Est. payroll
%±
New York Yankees [ 1] 95
−5.9%
4,090,696
8.4%
50,502
$208,306,817
13.1%
Los Angeles Dodgers [ 2] 71
−23.7%
3,603,646
3.3%
44,489
$83,039,000
−10.6%
St. Louis Cardinals [ 3] 100
−4.8%
3,538,988
16.1%
43,691
$92,106,833
9.2%
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim [ 4] 95
3.3%
3,404,686
0.9%
42,033
$94,867,822
−5.6%
San Francisco Giants [ 5] 75
−17.6%
3,181,023
−2.3%
39,272
$90,199,500
10.0%
Chicago Cubs [ 6] 79
−11.2%
3,099,992
−2.2%
38,272
$87,032,933
−3.9%
San Diego Padres [ 7] 82
−5.7%
2,869,787
−4.9%
35,429
$63,290,833
14.3%
Boston Red Sox [ 8] 95
−3.1%
2,847,888
0.4%
35,159
$123,505,125
−3.0%
New York Mets [ 9] 83
16.9%
2,829,929
22.0%
34,937
$101,305,821
−0.7%
Houston Astros [ 10] 89
−3.3%
2,804,760
−9.2%
34,627
$76,779,000
1.8%
Washington Nationals [ 11] 81
20.9%
2,731,993
264.5%
33,728
$48,581,500
17.9%
Seattle Mariners [ 12] 69
9.5%
2,725,459
−7.3%
33,648
$87,754,334
7.7%
Philadelphia Phillies [ 13] 88
2.3%
2,665,304
−18.0%
32,905
$95,522,000
2.5%
Baltimore Orioles [ 14] 74
−5.1%
2,624,740
−4.3%
32,404
$73,914,333
43.2%
Texas Rangers [ 15] 79
−11.2%
2,525,221
0.5%
31,176
$55,849,000
1.5%
Atlanta Braves [ 16] 90
−6.3%
2,521,167
8.3%
31,126
$86,457,302
−4.1%
Chicago White Sox [ 17] 99
19.3%
2,342,833
21.4%
28,924
$75,178,000
15.3%
Milwaukee Brewers [ 18] 81
20.9%
2,211,023
7.2%
27,297
$39,934,833
45.1%
Oakland Athletics [ 19] 88
−3.3%
2,109,118
−4.2%
26,038
$55,425,762
−6.7%
Arizona Diamondbacks [ 20] 77
51.0%
2,059,424
−18.3%
25,425
$62,629,166
−10.2%
Minnesota Twins [ 21] 83
−9.8%
2,034,243
6.4%
25,114
$56,186,000
4.3%
Detroit Tigers [ 22] 71
−1.4%
2,024,431
5.6%
24,993
$69,092,000
47.5%
Toronto Blue Jays [ 23] 80
19.4%
2,014,995
6.1%
24,876
$45,719,500
−8.6%
Cleveland Indians [ 24] 93
16.3%
2,013,763
11.0%
24,861
$41,502,500
20.9%
Cincinnati Reds [ 25] 73
−3.9%
1,943,067
−15.0%
23,696
$61,892,583
31.9%
Colorado Rockies [ 26] 67
−1.5%
1,914,389
−18.1%
23,634
$47,839,000
−26.9%
Florida Marlins [ 27] 83
0.0%
1,852,608
7.5%
22,872
$60,408,834
43.3%
Pittsburgh Pirates [ 28] 67
−6.9%
1,817,245
15.0%
22,435
$38,133,000
18.3%
Kansas City Royals [ 29] 56
−3.4%
1,371,181
−17.5%
16,928
$36,881,000
−22.5%
Tampa Bay Devil Rays [ 30] 67
−4.3%
1,141,669
−10.5%
14,095
$29,679,067
−0.6%
Television coverage [ edit ] This was the fifth season that national television coverage was split between ESPN and Fox Sports . ESPN and ESPN2 aired selected weeknight and Sunday night games , and selected Division Series playoff games. Fox televised Saturday baseball , the All-Star Game , selected Division Series games, both League Championship Series, and the World Series .
a 1909 , 1913 , 1921 , 1927 –1928 , 1932 –1933 , 1936 , 1939 , 1942 –1943 , 1949 , 1959 , 1982 , 1985 , 1989 , 2000 , 2005 and 2025 .
^ "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Los Angeles Angels Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "San Diego Padres Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "New York Mets Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Houston Astros Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Washington Nationals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Seattle Mariners Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Texas Rangers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Milwaukee Brewers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Arizona Diamondbacks Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Toronto Blue Jays Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Colorado Rockies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Florida Marlins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Kansas City Royals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Tampa Bay Rays Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors" . Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020 .^ "Bees swarm Rockies' game" . www.deseret.com . Retrieved October 16, 2023 .^ Pellowski, Michael J (2007). The Little Giant Books of Baseball Facts 352 . ISBN 978-1-4027-4273-6 ^ "Rafael Palmeiro Statistics and History" . Baseball-Reference.com . Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2010 .^ "Every member of the 3,000-strikeout club" . MLB.com . Retrieved March 18, 2026 .
Pre-modern era
Beginnings Competition NL monopoly
Modern era
See also
