Detroit Tigers: Ranking The Top 10 Teams In Franchise History

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KANSAS CITY, MO – MAY 29: Starting pitcher Daniel Norris. Getty Images. /

The Detroit Tigers are rebuilding heading into 2018, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look at other teams throughout their history.

With the Detroit Tigers looking to the future, we are taking a look into the past. There are plenty of different ways to judge the best team in franchise history. You could use Baseball References’ Pythagorean Win-Loss Percentage, which would put the ’35 Detroit Tigers as the best team in franchise history.

You could use win-loss percentage, which would put the 1934 Detroit Tigers as the best team in franchise history. For this post, we are going to use the most wins per season, using the stats at Baseball-Reference to determine the top ten teams in Detroit Tigers Franchise History.

Each team has its merits for why it should be the best team in franchise history, so keep in mind that we are going off of wins. That doesn’t mean we won’t give credit to each team. The 1935 Detroit Tigers brought the team its first World Series title, but according to wins, it doesn’t crack the top ten list.

Arguably, the first fall classic title should give the team bragging rights to be one of the greatest teams, but 92 wins isn’t in the top ten list here.

The team with the tenth most wins in Detroit Tigers history is the 1950 Tigers coming in at 95 wins.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 1: Minnesota Twins fans take a selfie before the start of the last baseball game of the regular season between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers on October 1, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Andy King/Getty Images) /

#10 The1950 Detroit Tigers

The 1950 Detroit Tigers posted what is the seventh best winning percentage in franchise history at .617.

The Detroit Tigers seemed to trail only the New York Yankees that year, finishing second in the American League behind the Yankees. They had a home attendance of 1,951,474, again trailing only to the Yankees.

Third baseman George Knell led the team with a .340 batting average, 218 hits and 56 doubles which helped him finish fourth in the AL MVP voting. CenterFielder Hoot Evers had a .323 batting average and 109 RBIs. RightFielder Vic Wertz had 27 home runs, 123 RBIs, and a .408 on-base percentage.

Meanwhile, on the mound, pitcher Art Houtermann led the team with a record of 19-12, a 3.54 ERA.

The next team on our list is the 2006 Detroit Tigers who brought the team their tenth pennant title in franchise history.

CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 13: Jeremy Bonderman. Getty Images. /

#9 The 2006 Detroit Tigers

The 2006 season saw the resurgence of the Old English D. The Tigers replaced Alan Trammell as the Skipper and brought in Jim Leyland to take the helm.

Justin Verlander contributed to the impressive 95 win campaign as he won the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Verlander wasn’t the only steller pitcher that year, as the team led the majors in ERA and shutouts behind performances from Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Robertson.

The Detroit Tigers would wind up with a wild-card spot after finishing the season with a 95-67 record. The American League Division Series would see the team face up against the heavily favored New York Yankees.

The Tigers won the ALDS in game four after a stellar performance from Jeremy Bonderman who threw a perfect game through five innings and allowed just one run in 8 1/3 innings.

The American League Championship Series saw the Tigers facing off against the Oakland Athletics, and despite close games, they swept the A’s in four games which gave the Tigers their tenth pennant in franchise history.

The Detroit Tigers would face off against the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, where they’d win game two but the Cardinals would ultimately win it all.

The 2011 team is up next on our list, coming in with 95 wins as well.

#8 2011 Detroit Tigers

2011 saw the Tigers winning 95 games en route to an American League Division Title, although it wasn’t enough as the Detroit Tigers would eventually lose to the Rangers in the ALCS.

The start of the 2011 season saw the team adding catcher/DH Victor Martinez, relief pitcher Joaquin Benoit, as well as starting pitcher Brad Penny. The team had an eleven game winning streak-the first since ’68 and a nine-game winning streak, the first since ’84.

Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Alex Avila, Jhonny Peralta, and Jose Valverde all represented the Old English D in the All-Star Game. Justin Verlander was named both the American League CY Young Award Winner as well as the American League MVP for his 24 wins, 250 strikeouts, and 2.40 ERA.

Winning the American League Title was the team’s first division title since joining the division in 1998. It was also the first division title of any sort sine 1987.

The playoffs saw the Detroit Tigers first facing the Yankees in the ALDS. Game 1 was a highly touted matchup as Justin Verlander faced CC Sabathia in front of a record-setting crowd of 50,940. The Tigers struck first blood, scoring in the first on a Delmon Young solo home run.

The Yankees responded when Derek Jeter was brought in by an Alex Rodriguez RBI. The Yankees would take game one but the Tigers would win the ALDS 3-2, before falling to the Texas Rangers in the ALCS.

The next team our list is the 1909 Detroit Tigers who racked up 98 wins.

DETROIT, MI – JUNE 28: A Detroit Tigers hat, glasses and glove sit on the dugout stairs during a MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park on June 28, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers win on a walk off home run 5-4. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) /

#7 1909 Detroit Tigers

The 1909 Tigers featured a triple crown performance from Ty Cobb as well as a 29 season from starting pitcher George Mullin.

1909 saw the Detroit Tigers win the American League Pennant with a record of 98-54. For the 1909 Tigers, it was the third consecutive season in which they won the AL Pennant. The run all the way to the world series was fueled by a Triple Crown Season from Ty Cobb and pitcher George Mullin leading the league in wins with 29.

The World Series was a matchup for the ages as the Detroit Tigers went up against the 110-win Pittsburgh Pirates. AL Triple Crown winner Ty Cobb vs NL Batting Champion Honus Wagner was the most-talked-about matchup of the series.

Game 1 of the series saw George Mullin go up against rookie Babe Adams as the Pirates took game one 4-1.

Behind Bill Donavon, the Detroit Tigers would take game 2 in a 7-2 victory, including a steal to home from Ty Cobb in the third. The Pirates took game three 8-6 behind a three-hit, three RBI, three stolen base performance from Honus Wagner.

George Mullin pitched a shutout in game four to tie the series up, striking out six batters along the way. The series would go all the way to game seven with the Pirates ultimately winning it all. The Detroit Tigers for a third consecutive season won the AL Pennant but couldn’t win the Fall Classic.

The 1987 Detroit Tigers are next up on our list, compiling 98 wins that year.

DETROIT, MI – JUNE 30: Former Detroit Tigers player Alan Trammell speaks to the fans during the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the 1984 World Series Championship team prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at Comerica Park on June 30, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Athletics 5-4. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

#6 1987 Detroit Tigers

The 1987 Detroit Tigers are considered to the be the end of the Bless You Boys era, with the ’87 season being met with lower expectations after consecutive third-place finishes in the AL East.

After starting the season, the ’87 Detroit Tigers would go on to finish with a major-league best record of 98-64. The season saw the Tigers get pitcher Doyle Alexander from the Atlanta Braves for minor leaguer John Smoltz.

With the Tigers, Alexander would win 9 games while posting a 1.53 ERA, ’88 saw Alexander post an all-star worthy season with a 14-11 record and 4.32 ERA. By 1989 though, Alexander’s performance declined and he retired the following season. While Smoltz would go on to have an illustrious hall of fame career with the Atlanta Braves that included winning the CY Young Award.

The ’87 Detroit Tigers would eventually lose to the Minnesota Twins in the American League Series, marking what would be the last postseason appearance for the Old Englis D until 2006.

Going back in time, the team with the fifth most wins in Detroit Tigers history is the 1915 team, the first team on our list with at least 100 wins.

DETROIT, MI – JULY 21: The Detroit Tigers celebrate Christmas in July prior to the start of the game against the Seattle Mariners on July 21, 2015 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

#5 1915 Detroit Tigers

1915 marked the first time in Detroit Tigers franchise history that the team had at least 100 wins.

The 100 win club was led by a team that included Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, and Bobby Veach in the outfield. The 1915 outfield has been regarded as the greatest outfield in baseball history.

Ty Cobb would steal 96 bases that year, an MLB record that would stand until 1962 when Maury Wills would steal 104 times.

The mound meanwhile was led by Hooks Dauss, who has the most wins in franchise history, Harry Coveleski, Jean Dubuc, and Bernie Boland.

The 100-win 1915 Tigers would go on to face the 101-win Boston Red Sox in the American League Pennant and would ultimately lose. The 1915 Tigers were also the first team to win at least 100 games without winning the pennant.

The 1915 team has the second highest winning percentage (.649) in franchise history, followed by the next team on our list-the 1934 Tigers (.656).

13 Jul 1998: General view of the stands at Tiger Stadium during a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers in Detroit, Michigan. The Royals defeated the Tigers 6-4. /

#4 1934 Detroit Tigers

The 1934 Tigers have the highest winning percentage in franchise history at .656, as well as the fourth most wins at 101.

En route to winning the American League Pennant, the 1934 Detroit Tigers posted a 101-53 record. Their world series appearance was the fourth appearance in franchise history. Ultimately, the team would lose to the St. Louis Cardinals in game seven of the series.

Prior to the start of the 1934 season, the team brought in Hall-of-Famer Mickey Cochrane to manage the team as well as to play catcher for the team. Cochrane batted .320 that season with a .428 on-base-percentage, 76 RBIs and 32 doubles which were good enough to earn him the American League MVP award.

As the skipper, Cochrane negotiated a trade that brought Goose Goslin to the team. The ’34 World Series wasn’t without controversy. The Tigers were up 3-2 in the series and late in game six umpire Buck Owens called Cochrane out on a play. In a 1982 interview, Charlie Gehringer stated that:

though all of the photographs show that he was safe by a mile. We wound up losing to Paul Dean by a run. Had Cochrane been called safe on that play, we would’ve had the bases loaded with nobody out and we could’ve had a big inning.

Next on our list, also posting 101 wins is the 1961 Detroit Tigers.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 30: JaCoby Jones #40 of the Detroit Tigers makes a diving attempt but was unable to catch a hit by Ehire Adrianza #16 of the Minnesota Twins in the seventh inning during of their baseball game on September 30, 2017, at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.(Photo by Andy King/Getty Images) /

#3 1961 Detroit Tigers

The 1961 Detroit Tigers only have fewer losses than two other teams in franchise history. As well it was the first year in which people flocked to “Tiger Stadium”.

Norm Cash led the 101-win club with a .361 batting average, and 132 RBIs, which earned him the American League Batting Title. Rocky Colavito followed behind Cash with 45 home runs and 140 RBIs.

Tiger great Al Kaline meanwhile led the AL with doubles at 41 and a .324 batting average. On the mound, Frank Lary led the team with 23 wins.

Despite winning 101 games the team finished eight games behind the New York Yankees and were unable to secure a spot in the playoffs.

According to Bill James, seven of the 1961 Detroit Tigers are in the top 100 players at their position. Those players are:

Bill Freehan- 12th best catcher of all-time.
Norm Cash- 20th best first baseman of all-time.
Dick McAuliffe- 22nd best second baseman of all-time (although he never played second for the Tigers)
Rocky Colavito- 26th best-left fielder of all-time.
Charlie Best- 99th best-left fielder of all-time.
Al Kaline- 11th best-right fielder of all-time.
Jim Bunning-30th best pitcher of all-time.

Next, our list is the World Series Champions the 1968 Detroit Tigers.

#2 1968 Detroit Tigers

1968 saw the Detroit Tigers win 103 games and bring the franchise its third World Series Title behind pitching performances from Denny McLain and Micky Lolich.

’68 saw the Detroit Tigers bring glory to the Motor City as they finished 103-59 behind CY Young Winner Denny McLain who went 31-6 with a 1.96 ERA. The Detroit Tigers met defending WS Champions St. Louis Cardinals in the fall classic.

Game 1 of the Fall Classic pitted Cardinals started Bob Gibson against CY Young Winner Denny McLain, with the Cardinals winning game one. The Tigers would take game two behind a complete-game one run performance from Mickey Lolich.

The Cardinals would take the next two games, putting the Tigers down 3-1. Mickey Lolich, took the mound for game five, striking out eight en route to a Detroit Tigers victory. Denny McLain took the mound for game six of the series as the Tigers tied up the series 3-3.

Game 7 saw Mickey Lolich once again take the mound, squaring off against red hot Bob Gibson, but the Tigers would ulitmately prevail, giving the team its third World Series victory with Lolich being named the WS MVP.

The final team on our list is the last Detroit Tigers team to win a World Series Title.

DETROIT, MI – JUNE 30: Former Detroit Tigers player Lou Whitaker speaks to the fans during the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the 1984 World Series Championship team prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at Comerica Park on June 30, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Athletics 5-4. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

#1 1984 Detroit Tigers

The Roar of ’84, or the Bless You Boys, saw the Detroit Tigers post a 104-win season en route to the franchises’ last World Series Win.

The ’84 season started off with a bang as the Detroit Tigers went 9-0, which included a no-hitter from Jack Morris in just the fourth game of the season. By 40 games, the Tigers were 35-5 and never looked back for the rest of the season.

The Detroit Tigers swept the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series. The Tigers faced off against the San Diego Padres in the World Series. The Series was dubbed the “Fast Food Fall Classic” as the Tigers were owned by Dominos Pizza Founder Tom, while the Padres had been owned by McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc (Kroc died four months prior to the World Series.

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The Tigers would win 4-1, bringing the franchise their four World Series title. It also marked the first sports championship in the Motor City since the Tigers won the World Series in ’68.

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Detroit Tigers: Top 10 Teams In Franchise History