The Detroit Tigers are one of the most storied franchises in baseball. They don’t have the recent success, despite reaching two World Series this century, but through the first 80 years of the franchise, their place among baseball greatness is inarguable.
From Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Al Kaline to Hal Newhouser and Hank Greenberg, Detroit produced baseball greatness from the beginning. But when the draft began, a new wrinkle was introduced to the game. Even then, the Tigers continued their success in acquiring players.
The draft is a difficult thing to perfect, but over their history, Detroit has been able to find legends in the first round and even later in the draft. By bWAR, two of their five best draft picks are in the Hall of Fame, and another one will be as soon as he is elligible.
1. 2B Lou Whitaker, 75.1 bWAR
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Despite being the first name on this list, Whitaker is controversially not in the Hall of Fame. He is the only member of the Tigers’ top five in bWAR that is not in the Hall. Looking at his accolades and numbers, there is a pretty strong case that he should be.
Drafted in the fifth round in 1975, Whitaker made his debut as a 20-year-old in 1977, but it was a short sample of only 11 games. Beginning the next season, he would be a regular in Detroit for the next 16 years.
He won Rookie of the Year in 1978, hitting .285 with a .718 OPS. Over the next three years, he improved slightly until 1982, his breakout year. As a 25-year-old, he posted 5.4 bWAR, hit 22 doubles, 15 home runs and drove in 65 on his way to a .775 OPS and 112 OPS+.
Over the next five seasons, he made the All-Star team each season and won three Gloves and four Silver Sluggers. In1983, Whitaker posted 6.7 bWAR, hit 40 doubles, six triples, 12 home runs and hit a career high .320 with an .837 OPS and 133 OPS+. He finished eighth in MVP voting that year.
From 1978 to 1993, Whitake played in at least 100 games and had at least 3.5 bWAR in all but one season. He won the 1984 World Series and lead all second baseman in hits from 1978-88.
Whitaker is still talked about as someone who should be in the Hall of Fame to this day. As one of the best Tigers of all time, ahead of other Hall of Famers in bWAR, it’s hard to argue against it. For 19 years, he was a steady force in Detroit. His number one is retired by the team.
2. SS Alan Trammell, 70.6 bWAR
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Trammell, a second-round pick in 1976, was the second part of the Tigers’ great middle infield tandem opposite Whitaker. Unlike his former teammate, Trammell is a Hall of Famer, being inducted by the Modern Baseball Era Committee in 2018.
Like Whitaker, Trammell got a quick cup of coffee in the big leagues in his first season, playing 19 games as a 19-year-old in 1977. The next season, he finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. In 1980, he made his first All-Star team, hitting .300 with a .779 OPS, as well as winning a Gold Glove.
He went on to win three more Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers while making five more All-Star games. Over his 20 year career, he received MVP voted seven different times.
Trammell’s first superstar season came in 1983 when he posted 6.0 bWAR, hitting 31 doubles and 14 home runs. In 1984, he won World Series MVP as a 26-year-old. The Hall of Famer had six seasons of 6.0 bWAR or more, including a career high 8.2 in 1987. That season, he hit a career high 28 home runs, drove in 105 runs, hit .343 and posted a .953 OPS.
The Tigers’ legend was one of the best shortstops of his era. From 1980-89, he had the second most hits of any shortstop behind Robin Yount and the third most home runs. His number three is also retired by Detroit.
3. RHP Justin Verlander, 56.6 bWAR
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Verlander is one of the best pitchers of his era and one of the faces of the Detroit Tigers for the 21st century. The top first round pick by bWAR in franchise history, the right-hander was successful almost immediatley.
After two starts in 2005, Verlander won Rookie of the Year in 2006, throwing 186 innings with a 4.0 bWAR. He made his first All-Star team the next season, throwing over 200 innings for the first time in his career and finishing fifth in Cy Young voting. It would only get better from there.
In 2009, he led the league in innings (240) and strikeouts (269), posting a then career high 5.5 ERA and finishing third in Cy Young voting.
By 2011, he was one of the best pitchers in the sport. He had the best year of his career, leading the league in bWAR (8.6), wins (24), ERA (2.40), innings (251), strikeouts (250), ERA+ (172) and WHIP (0.920). The triple crown winner, he won both the Cy Young and MVP.
He followed that up with another elite season. He led the league in bWAR once again (8.1), innings (238.1), and strikeouts (239), finishing second in Cy Young voting. In 2016, he finished second once again, in what is one of the most contentious Cy Young results of the century.
He was traded in 2017, but is one of the best Tigers pitchers ever. He made six All-Star teams, won a Cy Young, MVP and Rookie of the Year. He is a sure-fire Hall of Famer.
4. RHP Jack Morris, 37.7 bWAR
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Morris, a fifth-round pick in 1976, is the second Hall of Famer on this list and was inducted via the Modern Baseball Era Committee in 2018, the same as Trammell. A fairly controversial Hall of Famer, there is no doubt that Morris was one of the most dependable starters during his time in Detroit.
His Cooperstown worthy career began in his third season in 1979. As a 24-year-old, Morris threw 197.2 innings with a 3.28 ERA and 5.8 bWAR. He threw 250 innings the next season and in 1981, made his first All-Star team.
From 1982-89, he threw at least 235 innings, including a league leading 293.2 in 1983, when he finished third in Cy Young voting. That same season, he lead the league with 232 strikeouts.
In 1986 and 1987, he posted 5.1 bWAR in back-to-back seasons. As a Tiger, he made four All-Star teams and had five top-10 Cy Young finishes. He lead all of baseball in innings from 1982-88 with 1,825.1 innings.
Morris is fourth in Tigers history in innings pitched, third in strikeouts and eighth in complete games. His number 47 is retired by the Tigers.
5. C Lance Parrish, 30.1 bWAR
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Parrish debuted in 1977 and was another member of the star-studded Tigers teams of the 1980s. It was clear that he was a power hitter by then. He was 22, hitting 14 homers in 85 games in his second season. That was just the beginning for one of the more underrated catchers of his era.
The catcher made his first All-Star team in 1980, and he finished the year with 34 doubles, six triples, and 24 home runs on his way to an .825 OPS. He won the Silver Slugger, as well. Beginning in 1982, he made five straight All-Star teams in his final seasons as a Tiger.
He had a career year in 1982, hitting 32 home runs, posting an .867 OPS and 135 OPS+. He finished 13th in MVP voting and won the Silver Slugger. Parrish had a career-high 5.0 bWAR that season, as well.
In 1984, Parrish hit a career high 33 home runs and was a key cog in the World Series team.
As a Tiger, he made six All-Star teams, won three Gold Gloves and five Silver Sluggers. During that tenure, Parrish was second among all catchers in home runs and fourth in RBIs.
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