The Detroit Tigers have a long and celebrated history. The franchise has won 11 American League pennants and four World Series championships with the last one coming in 1984.
The Tigers have had some outstanding pitchers over the course of their history. Here is a look at the four best hurlers the Tigers have ever had. Rankings are based solely on the players’ performance, similar to odds at situs slot online, with Detroit and dominance, impact and longevity are all important factors.
4. Mickey Lolich (1963-1975)
Lolich spent 13 seasons with the Tigers and won 207 games for them. He led the Major Leagues in wins and strikeouts in 1971 and was the MVP of the 1968 World Series which the Tigers won in seven games.
The southpaw won all three of his starts in the 1968 World Series and helped the Tigers overcome a 3-1 deficit and win the championship. He outdueled Hall of Famer Bob Gibson in the seventh and deciding game and finished the World Series with a 3-0 record and a 1.67 ERA.
Lolich was a three-time All Star Game selection and had back-to-back 20-plus win seasons in 1971 and 1972 including a career best 25 in 1971.
He was traded to the New York Mets in 1976 in the deal that sent Rusty Staub to Detroit.
3. Hal Newhouser (1939-1953)
Newhouser was the most dominant pitcher in baseball during World War II and won back to back MVP awards for the Tigers in 1944 and 1945. He also won the pitching triple crown in 1945, leading the league in wins, strikeouts and ERA.
The hard throwing lefthander led the American League in wins four times in the 1940s and went to seven straight All Star Games from 1942-1948.
In the 1945 World Series, Newhouser won two games including the decisive Game 7 that helped the Tigers win the title.
He finished his career with 200 wins in a Tigers uniform and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.
2. Jack Morris (1977-1990)
Morris spent 14 seasons with Detroit and quickly developed a reputation as a big game pitcher who came through for his team in the clutch.
He won 198 games with the Tigers and was named to the All Star Game four times.
In the 1984 World Series, Morris went 2-0 and pitched two compete games with an ERA of 2.00. Detroit won the championship after starting the season on a record-setting 35-5 tear.
Morris led the American League in wins in 1981 and had two seasons with 20 or more wins while with Detroit.
His number 47 has been retired by the Tigers and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
1. Justin Verlander (2005-2017)
Verlander was one of the most dominant pitchers in the game in the early 21st century. Twice he led the American League in wins while with Detroit including a career-high 24 victories in 2011.
The hard-throwing Virginia native went to six All-Star Games with the Tigers and led the AL in strikeouts and innings pitched three times.
In 2011, he won the Cy Young Award and the AL MVP after he won the pitching triple crown after finishing the season with a 24-5 record, a 2.40 ERA and striking out 250 batters.
Verlander is a lock to go into the Baseball Hall of Fame when his career is over.