1905 was the fifth year for the Detroit Tigers in the American League. The team finished in third place with a record of , 15 games behind the Philadelphia Athletics.
The 1905 Tigers posted a run differential of -97, the lowest ever by a team with a winning record, breaking the previous record of -81 held by the 1882 Detroit Wolverines; the Tigers lost 48 games by 3 or more runs.
Regular season
The 1905 Tigers were outscored by their opponents 602 to 512, the largest negative run differential ever for a Major League team with a winning record. The team's attendance at Bennett Park was 193,384, eighth out of the eight teams in the AL.
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Notable transactions
Roster
Player stats
Batting
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Note: pitchers' batting statistics not included
Pitching
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Awards and honors
League top five finishers
Ty Cobb
- Youngest player in the AL (18)
Ed Killian
- AL leader in shutouts (8)
- #3 in AL in wins (23)
- #3 in AL in bases on balls allowed (107)
- #4 in AL in complete games (33)
- #4 in AL in hit batsmen (13)
- #5 in AL in games started (37)
Frank Kitson
- #5 in AL in earned runs allowed (87)
Sam Crawford
- #2 in AL in OPS (.786)
- #2 in AL in doubles (38)
- #2 in AL in runs created (87)
- #2 in AL in extra base hits (54)
- #3 in AL in slugging percentage (.430)
- #3 in AL in hits (171)
- #3 in AL in total bases (247)
- #3 in AL in home runs (6)
- #3 in AL in times on base (224)
- #4 in AL in on-base percentage (.357)
- #4 in AL in RBIs (75)
- #4 in AL in Power/Speed Number (9.4)
- #5 in AL in batting average (.297)
Bill Donovan
- #4 in AL in bases on balls allowed (101)
Bobby Lowe
- 2nd oldest player in the AL (39)
George Mullin
- AL leader in complete games (35)
- AL leader in innings pitched (347)
- AL leader in games started (41)
- AL leader in bases on balls allowed (138)
- AL leader in hits allowed (303)
- AL leader in batters faced (1473)
- #2 in AL in games (44)
- #3 in AL in earned runs allowed (97)
- #4 in AL in losses (21)
Bob Wood
- 3rd oldest player in AL (39)
Notes
References