Detroit Tigers: Top 10 Second Basemen in franchise history

Jerry Priddy

Detroit Tigers: 1950-1953

Jerry Priddy only spent four years in a Detroit uniform. However, he was a solid player offensively and very strong defensively, which is enough for him to crack the list.

Priddy made his debut in 1941 with the Yankees. He spent two partial seasons with them before going to Washington. He finished 16th in MVP voting in 1943, hitting .271 with a 111 OPS+.

Then, he missed the next two seasons due to military service. When he returned, he had two below average seasons with the Senators before getting shipped away to the Browns.

Across two seasons in St. Louis, Priddy slashed .293/.387/.428 with a 113 OPS+. He finished 15th and 22nd in MVP voting. The Browns shipped him to the Tigers in December of 1949 for Lou Kretlow and $100,000.

Priddy led the league in games played in both 1950 and 1951. He was particularly solid in 1950, hitting .277 with 13 home runs and six triples.

He finished 17th in MVP voting that season.

Priddy finished his career with two half seasons in Detroit before retiring in 1953 at the age of 33. While his offense was roughly league average (career 98 OPS+) defense is what gets Priddy on this list.

Priddy posted a strong 2.7 dWAR in his 1950 season, en route to a 4.4 bWAR overall. The former Yankee finished his time in Detroit with a .267 average and 448 hits. He posted a 95 OPS+. and a 6.7 bWAR.

Up next is a player known more for his versatility around the diamond.