Though some may ultimately remember Justin Verlander more as a member of the Houston Astros, the bulk of what will likely be a Hall of Fame career came with the Detroit Tigers.
When the Tigers selected Verlander with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft, they were just a season removed from posting a 43-119 record, one of the worst in the modern history of the sport. However, Verlander helped usher in an era of success with the Tigers, with the Tigers winning the American League pennant in 2006, his first full season. Though the Tigers fell short of winning a World Series during Verlander's time with team, the organization reached the ALCS four times and the fall classic twice with him at the forefront of their rotation.
In parts of 13 seasons with the Tigers, Verlander racked up 183 regular season wins, won the 2006 American League Rookie of the Year Award, made six All-Star teams and was the 2011 American League Cy Young Award and MVP winner.
Still, while Verlander is a franchise icon, the Tigers have been in existence since 1901. That means that even if Verlander is one of the most notable stars to play for the franchise recently, he finds himself on the outside looking in as we examine the nine greatest Tigers ever:
9. Hal Newhouser (1939-1953)
Hal Newhouser is one of the greatest pitchers in Tigers history.(Leaf International/Wikimedia Commons)Best Season: 1945 - 25-9 with a 1.81 ERA, 2.45 FIP, 1.114 WHIP, 212 strikeouts and an 11.3 bWAR
Career Summary: 200-148 with a 3.07 ERA, 3.18 FIP, 1.313 WHIP, 1,770 strikeouts and 58.7 bWAR
Denny McLain and Justin Verlander both became the rare pitchers to win league MVP Awards while playing for the Tigers, but neither was the first in franchise history to pull off the feat. Newhouser won the American League MVP in 1944, and casually followed it up by doing the same in 1945. The Cy Young Award wasn't created until 1956, but Newhouser would have won quite a few of those if it had been around sooner. WAR 7 - a metric used to gauge how dominant a player was in his seven best seasons - says that Newhouser had the 31st best peak among all starting pitchers in MLB history. Rather inexplicably, it took until 1992 for Newhouser to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
8. Hank Greenberg (1930; 1933-1941; 1945-1946)
Hank Greeberg had an incredibly dominant peak.(The Sporting News Archives/Wikimedia Commons)Best Season: 1940 - .340/.433/.670 with 41 home runs, 150 RBIs, a 1.103 OPS and a 6.8 bWAR
Career Summary: .319/.412/.616 with 306 home runs, 1,200 RBIs, a 1.028 OPS and a 53.0 bWAR
Service in World War II prevented Greenberg from getting to play in what would have been his age-31-33 seasons, but Greenberg still managed to check in on this list. The original "Hammerin' Hank," Greenberg was the sixth-most valuable offensive player in baseball between 1933-1940, despite playing in just 12 games in 1936. Greenberg was the American League MVP in 1935 and 1940, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1956, after leading the Tigers to two World Series titles.
7. Miguel Cabrera (2008-Present)
Miguel Cabrera is a two-time AL MVP.(Leon Halip/Getty Images)Best Season: 2013 - .348/.442/.636 with 44 home runs, 137 RBIs, a 1.078 OPS and a 7.5 bWAR
Career Summary: .313/.392/.539 with 349 home runs, 1,206 RBIs, a .931 OPS and a 51.3 bWAR (as of December 2020)
Cabrera spent the first five seasons of his career with the Florida Marlins and will have some lean years to finish his time in Detroit, but still, his peak was so dominant that he had to be on this list. Cabrera edged out Mike Trout to win back-to-back American League MVP Awards in 2012 and 2013, and graded out as the best offensive player in baseball between 2008 and 2016. One of the most dominant right-handed hitters in the history of the sport, Cabrera is destined to don a Tigers cap on his Hall of Fame plaque.
6. Harry Heilmann (1914; 1916-1929)
Harry Heilmann is one of the greatest players in Tigers franchise history.(Chicago Historical Society/Wikimedia Commons)Best Season: 1923 - .403/.481/.632 with 18 home runs, 115 RBIs, a 1.113 OPS and a 9.3 bWAR
Career Summary: .342/.410/.518 with 164 home runs, 1,446 RBIs, a .927 OPS and a 67.6 bWAR
A four-time batting champion, Heilmann was one of the earliest Tigers superstars in franchise history. During parts of 15 seasons in Detroit, Heilmann hit .342, racking up nearly 2,500 hits. In 1952, Heilmann became the third player to spend the bulk of his career in Detroit and be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
5. Alan Trammell (1977-1996)
Alan Trammell is a Tigers' icon.(Duane Burleson/Getty Images)Best Season: 1987 - .343/.402/.551 with 28 home runs, 105 RBIs, .953 OPS and an 8.2 bWAR
Career Summary: .285/.352/.415 with 185 home runs, 1,003 RBIs, .767 OPS and a 70.7 bWAR
For nearly two decades, the Tigers had stability in their middle infield, and Trammel was one half of that at shortstop. A six-time All-Star, Trammel won three Silver Slugger Awards, while nabbing the Gold Glove Award at shortstop on four occasions. In the five-game 1984 World Series, Trammell hit .450 with two home runs and six RBIs, ultimately being named the MVP of the fall classic. The Veteran's Comittee voted Trammel into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
4. Lou Whitaker (1977-1995)
Lou Whitaker brought elite play to second base in Detroit.(The Press Box/Wikimedia Commons)Best Season: 1983 - .320/.380/.457 with 12 home runs, 72 RBIs, an .837 OPS and a 6.7 bWAR
Career Summary: .276/.363/.426 with 244 home runs, 1,084 RBIS, a .789 OPS and a 75.1 bWAR
Whitaker perhaps didn't have the same level of peak dominance as some other Hall of Fame second baseman, but he was so excellent for such a long period of time, that some believe he deserves a spot in Cooperstown. One thing is for sure, there's no questioning his place in Tigers history. Whitaker won the 1984 American League Rookie of the Year Award, made five All-Star teams, won three Gold Glove Awards and helped the 1984 Tigers, one of the better teams in modern history, to win a World Series.
3. Charlie Gehringer (1924-1942)
Charlie Gehringer is a Tigers' icon.(Harris & Ewing/Wikimedia Commons)Best Season: 1934 - .356/.450/.517 with 11 home runs, 127 RBIs, a .967 OPS and an 8.9 bWAR
Career Summary: .320/.404/.480 with 184 home runs, 1,427 RBIs, an .884 OPS and an 83.8 bWAR
During a 19-year career spent entirely with the Tigers, Gehringer established himself as arguably one of the five greatest second basemen in the history of baseball. The 1937 American League MVP, Gehringer also made six All-Star teams, which is an incredible feat when you consider that the All-Star Game didn't start until his age-30 season. The Gold Glove Award wasn't first awarded until more than a decade after Gehringer retired, but his 10.8 career defensive WAR suggests that he would have won some of those if it had been around during his day.
2. Al Kaline (1953-1974)
Al Kaline was nicknamed "Mr. Tiger."(Bowman/USA Today)Best Season: 1955 - .340/.421/.546 with 27 home runs, 102 RBIs, a .967 OPS and an 8.3 bWAR
Career Summary: .297/.376/.480 with 399 home runs, 1,582 RBIs, an .855 OPS and a 92.8 bWAR
Of all the Hall of Famers who have spent time in Detroit, it's Kaline who was simply dubbed "Mr. Tiger." An 18-time All-Star, Kaline spent more than two decades with the Tigers, including helping the team to win the 1968 World Series. Kaline also won 10 Gold Glove Awards, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980.
1. Ty Cobb (1905-1926)
Ty Cobb is one of the greatest players in Tigers history.(The Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons)Best Season: 1911 - .419/.466/.620 with eight home runs, 127 RBIs, a 1.086 OPS and a 10.7 bWAR
Career Summary: .368/.434/.516 with 111 home runs, 1,811 RBIs, a .950 OPS and a 144.7 bWAR
One of the greatest left-handed hitters in MLB history, Cobb spent 22 of his illustrious 24-season career with the Tigers. Over that timespan, Cobb won an MVP and an unfathomable 11 batting titles. Cobb's .366 career batting average is the highest mark in MLB history, and given how adept he was at driving in runs, you get the sense that he could have put up elite power numbers if he played in an era where home runs were more prioritized. Whatever his reputation as a person is, Cobb is easily the greatest player in the history of the Tigers.
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