The Baseball Scholar

Updated 02/23/2022

This is the Detroit Tigers all-time roster. The roster consists of one starter and one bench player for each infield position and one starter and one bench player for each outfield position. Hitters had to have a minimum of 1,500 plate appearances. For pitching, I selected five starting pitchers and three relief pitchers. Starting pitchers had to start at least 75 games during their time with the franchise to qualify. Relief pitchers had to accumulate a minimum of 150 innings pitched to be eligible.

• Catcher – Bill Freehan



• Age: 19, 21 – 34
• Years: 1961, 1963 – 1976

Bill Freehan

WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
44.8	113	1774	6899	6073	706	1591	241	35	200	758	24	21	626	753	.262	.340	.412	.752

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• First Base – Miguel Cabrera



• Age: 25 – 40
• Years: 2009 – 2023




Miguel Cabrera

WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
49.0	139	2077	8724	7662	1102	2332	444	7	373	1358	23	10	936	1513	.304	.380	.510	.890

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• Second Base – Charlie Gehringer



• Age: 21 – 39
• Years: 1924 – 1942

Charlie Gehringer

WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
80.5	124	2323	10237	8860	1774	2839	574	146	184	1427	181	89	1186	372	.320	.398	.480	.878

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• Third Base – George Kell



• Age: 23 – 29
• Years: 1946 – 1952

George Kell

WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
22.8	120	826	3734	3303	503	1075	210	35	25	414	34	27	337	107	.325	.382	.433	.815

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• Shortstop – Alan Trammell



• Age: 19 – 38
• Years: 1977 – 1996

Alan Trammell

WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
70.7	111	2293	9375	8288	1231	2365	412	55	185	1003	236	109	850	874	.285	.350	.415	.765

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• Outfield – Ty Cobb



• Age: 18 – 39
• Years: 1905 – 1926

Ty Cobb

WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
144.9	168	2806	12105	10591	2088	3900	665	284	111	1804	865	154	1148	329	.368	.424	.516	.940

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• Outfield – Al Kaline



• Age: 18 – 39
• Years: 1953 – 1974

Al Kaline

WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
92.7	134	2834	11597	10116	1622	3007	498	75	399	1583	137	65	1277	1020	.297	.378	.480	.858

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• Outfield – Harry Heilmann



• Age: 19, 21 – 34
• Years: 1914, 1916 – 1929




Harry Heilmann

WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
68.1	145	1991	8390	7297	1209	2499	497	145	164	1442	111	64	792	498	.342	.410	.518	.928

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• Starting Pitcher – Hal Newhouser



• Age: 18 – 32
• Years: 1939 – 1953

Hal Newhouser

WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
58.7	76	460	373	200	148	3.07	2944	212	33	19	1181	1003	1227	1770	14.2%	1.31

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• Starting Pitcher – Justin Verlander



• Age: 22 – 34
• Years: 2005 – 2017

Justin Verlander

WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
56.0	82	380	380	183	114	3.49	2511	23	7	0	1057	975	766	2373	22.8%	1.19

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• Starting Pitcher – Dizzy Trout



• Age: 24 – 37
• Years: 1939 – 1952

Dizzy Trout

WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
44.3	80	493	305	161	153	3.20	2591.2	156	28	34	1101	922	978	1199	10.9%	1.34

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• Starting Pitcher – Mickey Lolich



• Age: 22 – 34
• Years: 1963 – 1975

Mickey Lolich

WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
46.7	96	508	459	207	175	3.45	3361.2	190	39	10	1415	1289	1014	2679	19.2%	1.22

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• Starting Pitcher – Tommy Bridges



• Age: 23 – 36, 38 – 39
• Years: 1930 – 1943, 1945 – 1946

Tommy Bridges

WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
51.6	80	424	362	194	138	3.57	2826.1	200	33	10	1321	1122	1192	1674	13.8%	1.37

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• Relief Pitcher – John Hiller



• Age: 22 – 27, 29 – 37
• Years: 1965 – 1970, 1972 – 1980

John Hiller

WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
31.1	75	545	43	87	76	2.83	1242	13	6	125	438	391	535	1036	19.9%	1.27

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• Relief Pitcher – Mike Henneman



• Age: 25 – 33
• Years: 1987 – 1995

Mike Henneman

WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
12.8	74	491	0	57	34	3.05	669.1	0	0	154	266	227	250	480	16.9%	1.31

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• Relief Pitcher – Willie Hernandez



• Age: 29 – 34
• Years: 1984 – 1989

Willie Hernandez

WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
8.6	74	358	0	36	31	2.98	483.2	0	0	120	175	160	138	384	19.4%	1.12

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Bench

• Catcher – Lance Parrish, 1977 – 1986
• First Base – Hank Greenberg, 1930, 1933 – 1941, 1945 – 1946
• Second Base – Lou Whitaker, 1977 – 1995
• Third Base – Travis Fryman, 1990 – 1997
• Shortstop – Donie Bush, 1908 – 1921
• Outfield – Sam Crawford, 1903 – 1917
• Outfield – Bobby Veach, 1912 – 1923
• Outfield – Chet Lemon, 1982 – 1990
• Starting Pitcher – Jack Morris, 1977 – 1990
• Starting Pitcher – Jim Bunning, 1955 – 1963
• Starting Pitcher – Frank Lary, 1954 – 1964
• Relief Pitcher – Doug Brocail, 1997 – 2000