Below is a 28-player roster for the Detroit Tigers. The manager is Sparky Anderson.
Our selections are based on performance, impact on the franchise, and tenure.
We are picking a TEAM, not simply the 28 best players in franchise history. This roster is intended to be a representation of how a manager would use these players in a lineup and on a pitching staff.
| PLAYER | POS | FROM | TO | BATS | G | HR | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Freehan | C | 1961 | 1976 | R | 1774 | 200 | 44.8 |
| Lance Parrish | C | 1977 | 1986 | R | 1146 | 212 | 30.1 |
| Hank Greenberg | 1B-LF | 1930 | 1946 | R | 1269 | 306 | 52.8 |
| Norm Cash | 1B | 1960 | 1974 | L | 2018 | 373 | 51.7 |
| Cecil Fielder | DH-1B | 1990 | 1996 | R | 982 | 245 | 16.9 |
| Charlie Gehringer | 2B | 1924 | 1942 | L | 2323 | 184 | 84.8 |
| Lou Whitaker | 2B | 1977 | 1995 | L | 2390 | 244 | 75.1 |
| Alan Trammell | SS | 1977 | 1996 | R | 2293 | 185 | 70.7 |
| Carlos Guillén | SS-3B | 2004 | 2011 | S | 817 | 95 | 18.6 |
| Miguel Cabrera | 1B-3B | 2008 | 2023 | R | 2077 | 373 | 49.1 |
| Tony Phillips | UT | 1990 | 1994 | S | 722 | 61 | 25.3 |
| Willie Horton | LF | 1963 | 1977 | R | 1515 | 262 | 25.9 |
| Kirk Gibson | OF | 1979 | 1995 | L | 1177 | 195 | 27.7 |
| Ty Cobb | CF | 1905 | 1926 | L | 2806 | 111 | 144.9 |
| Al Kaline | RF | 1953 | 1974 | R | 2834 | 399 | 92.9 |
| Harry Heilmann | RF-LF | 1914 | 1929 | R | 1990 | 164 | 68.1 |
| Sam Crawford | OF | 1903 | 1917 | L | 2114 | 70 | 63.7 |
| Victor Martinez | DH/C | 2011 | 2018 | S | 969 | 115 | 7.8 |
| BATS | PLAYER | POS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L | Ty Cobb | CF |
| 2 | R | Al Kaline | RF |
| 3 | R | Miguel Cabrera | 3B |
| 4 | R | Hank Greenberg | 1B |
| 5 | R | Harry Heilmann | LF |
| 6 | R | Cecil Fielder | DH |
| 7 | L | Charlie Gehringer | 2B |
| 8 | R | Alan Trammell | SS |
| 9 | R | Lance Parrish | C |
| BATS | PLAYER | POS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L | Ty Cobb | CF |
| 2 | R | Al Kaline | RF |
| 3 | R | Miguel Cabrera | 3B |
| 4 | R | Hank Greenberg | DH |
| 5 | L | Charlie Gehringer | 2B |
| 6 | L | Norm Cash | 1B |
| 7 | L | Kirk Gibson | LF |
| 8 | R | Alan Trammell | SS |
| 9 | R | Bill Freehan | C |
| PLAYER | ARM | FROM | TO | W | ERA | ERA+ | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Verlander | RH | 2005 | 2017 | 183 | 3.49 | 123 | 56.6 |
| Hal Newhouser | LH | 1939 | 1953 | 200 | 3.07 | 130 | 58.7 |
| Jack Morris | RH | 1977 | 1990 | 198 | 3.73 | 108 | 37.7 |
| Mickey Lolich | LH | 1963 | 1975 | 207 | 3.45 | 105 | 46.7 |
| Tommy Bridges | RH | 1930 | 1946 | 194 | 3.57 | 126 | 51.6 |
| John Hiller | LH | 1965 | 1980 | 87 | 2.83 | 134 | 31.0 |
| Willie Hernández | LH | 1984 | 1989 | 36 | 2.98 | 135 | 8.4 |
| Aurelio López | RH | 1979 | 1985 | 53 | 3.41 | 119 | 9.6 |
| Dizzy Trout | RH | 1939 | 1952 | 161 | 3.20 | 125 | 44.3 |
| Mike Henneman | RH | 1987 | 1995 | 57 | 3.05 | 136 | 12.8 |