Detroit Tigers Top 10 Shortstops in franchise history

The Detroit Tigers have a storied history of strong play at shortstop. But who are the ten best to play the position in the Motor City?

The greatest shortstop in Detroit Tigers history finally heard his name called for Cooperstown. But besides Hall of Famer Alan Trammell, the Tigers have had a multitude of talented shortstops in their organization.

In honor of throwback Thursday, today we present the ten greatest shortstops in Detroit Tigers history. The list features shortstops from every decade since the 1900’s, and will have many familiar names for diehard Tigers fans.

While not a position known historically for strong offense, the Tigers have had many shortstops who have won Silver Slugger Awards, batting titles and generally been well above average with the stick.

That’s not to say their has not been elite defense as well, as Detroit is currently blessed with an outstanding defensive shortstop. He’s not the only one, as they’ve had many players who are ranked as some of the best defensive shortstops the game has ever seen.

Before we begin, I encourage you all to take a second and think of some of your favorite shortstops in Tiger history, and see if you can guess where they may place on this list.

Without further ado, here are the ten greatest shortstops in Detroit Tigers history, starting with the most recent man up the middle:

Johnny Lipon

Detroit Tigers: 1942, 1946-1952

Johnny Lipon made his big league debut with the Tigers as a fresh-faced 19-year-old in 1942. He hit .191 across 131 at-bats that season. Then, Lipon served in World War II, missing 1943-1945. He returned in 1946 and spent most of the season in the minor leagues, going 6-for-20 in the big leagues.

He spent all of 1947 in the minors, hitting .295 with 11 home runs for the Dallas Rebels.

Lipon was up with the Tigers for good in 1948. From 1948-1951 Lipon played in 524 games with the Tigers. He slashed .276/.366/.350 with an 88 OPS+ and a 6.9 bWAR.

Lipon started the 1952 season with the Tigers, but was dealt on June 3 to Boston. The Tigers shipped Lipon along with Hoot Evers, Dizzy Trout and George Kell to the Red Sox for Walt Dropo, Fred Hatfield, Don Lenhardt, Bill Wight and Johnny Pesky.

“Skids” as he was called spent the last half of 1952 with the Red Sox, hitting .205. He was purchased in 1953 by the Browns, only getting nine more at-bats. He was traded again to the White Sox and finished his career in 1954 with one at-bat for the Reds.

Lipon was purchased by a baseball team in Havana and spent two seasons playing down in Cuba in the 1950’s. He ended up bouncing around the minor leagues for a few more years before retiring in 1963 at age 40.

Deivi Cruz

Detroit Tigers: 1997-2001

Deivi Cruz was the Tigers starting shortstop for five straight seasons, racking up 692 appearances at short.

Cruz was originally signed by the San Francisco Giants in 1993, but was taken by the Dodgers in the Minor league draft in 1996 and immediately shipped to the Tigers in exchange for Jeff Berblinger.

He ended up finishing 25th in MVP voting and fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 1997. His numbers weren’t all that impressive however, as he hit .241 with two home runs, three stolen bases and 26 doubles.

Cruz improved in 1998, hitting .260 with five home runs and a 2.2 WAR thanks to improving defense.

1999 saw Cruz post his first double-digit home run season, as he blasted 13 and hit .284. 2000 was his best overall season, as he hit .302 with 10 home runs and 46 doubles, which was third in the AL. His 97 OPS+ was a career-high as well.

2001 saw Cruz’s batting average dip back down to .256 and his home run output drop down to seven. He posted a strong 2.6 WAR, but the Tigers had seen enough.

He was a free agent after the season and signed with the San Diego Padres. After one season in San Diego he signed with the Baltimore Orioles and hit a career high 14 home runs, before catching on with the Giants. He eventually finished his big league career in 2005 as a member of the brand new Washington Nationals.

Cruz finished his Detroit career with 652 hits, 157 doubles (39th in team history), 277 RBI and a 6.0 WAR.

Jhonny Peralta

Detroit Tigers: 2010-2013

Checking in at number seven is Jhonny Peralta, who spent 460 games in a Tigers uniform between 2010 and 2013.

Peralta made his big league debut way back in 2003 with the Cleveland Indians. He posted three 20 home run seasons with Cleveland before getting traded to the Tigers at the 2010 trade deadline for Giovanni Soto. Peralta hit .253 with eight home runs in 57 games down the stretch as the teams primary shortstop.

He opened up 2011 with the same role and had one of the strongest seasons of his career. He made his first All-Star game and finished the year hitting .299/.345/.478 with 21 home runs and a 122 OPS+.

2012 was a down year for Peralta, as he only hit .239 with 13 home runs and a lowly 84 OPS. He more than made up for it in the playoffs, hitting .389 with two home runs in four games against the Yankees in the ALCS. Unfortunately, he went 1-for-15 in the World Series against the Giants, with his one hit being a home run.

Peralta bounced back strong in 2013, hitting a career-high .303 and making his second All-Star game. However, his season was cut short by a 50-game suspension that he began serving on August 5 of that season. The suspension was in relation to his connection with the Biogenesis laboratories that provided illegal PED’s to players.

He returned in the playoffs as a left fielder after the Tigers had acquired Jose Iglesias to man shortstop in his absence. He hit .333 in ten playoff games.

Peralta signed a four-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals in the offseason, ending his run in the Motor City.

Although his time in Detroit was brief, Peralta had a big impact on the team. He hit .275 with 53 home runs, a 106 OPS+ and a 9.1 WAR. He was a two-time All-Star, one of only four Tiger shortstops to make multiple All-Star games.

Topper Rigney

Detroit Tigers: 1922-1925

Rigney, like Peralta, posted excellent numbers while on the Tigers. He’s lower on this list because he only spent three and a half seasons in the Motor City, playing in 490 games at shortstop.

Rigney made his big league debut in 1922 at age 25. He led the league in games played that year, and slashed a robust .300/.380/.369 with seven triples, two home runs, 63 RBI and 17 stolen bases.

He hit even better in 1923, slashing .315/.389/.419 with 74 RBI and 11 triples. Rigney had a knack for drawing walks, a skill he had perfected by 1924. That season he posted a .410 OBP thanks to 102 walks, which was second in the league behind someone named Babe Ruth.

Rigney was well on his way to becoming one of the true Tiger greats, posting strong offensive numbers and defensive numbers at the shortstop position. Then, in 1925, Rigney only played in 62 games. In 146 at-bats, he hit .247 and posted a lowly 77 OPS+. I’d guess an injury had a lot to do with his lack of playing time, but injury reports from 95 years ago are hard to come by.

Regardless, those 62 games were the last Rigney would play in Detroit. He was purchased by the Boston Red Sox in April of 1926, where he hit .270/.395/.377 and finished 21st in MVP voting. He was traded early in 1927 to the Washington Senators, and hit .273 in a partial season. That was Rigney’s final season in the big leagues, as he called it quits at age 30.

Rigney’s career was brief but very solid, as he posted a .388 OBP and a 104 OPS+ in 694 career games. He hit .296/.389/.393 with 44 stolen bases, a 105 OPS+ and a 10.9 bWAR as a Detroit Tiger, good enough to crack the top-ten list at number six.

Billy Rogell

Detroit Tigers: 1930-1939

The Detroit Tigers shortstop of the 1930’s, Rogell was a mainstay in a potent lineup that featured Hall of Famers Charlie Gehringer and Hank Greenberg alongside him in the infield. Rogell may not have had the offensive firepower of his HOF counterparts, but he made up for it by being one of the greatest defensive shortstops in team history.

After three underwhelming seasons in Boston, Rogell spent one year in the American Association League before the Tigers snagged him ahead of the 1930 season. He was a bit player in 1930 and 1931, combining for just 377 at-bats and a .243 average.

He took over as the team’s primary shortstop in 1932 and didn’t look back, earning over 500 at-bats in each of the next seven seasons. During that time, Rogell slashed a very respectable .278/.366/.386 with 1,090 hits, 205 doubles, 64 stolen bases and a 91 OPS+.

He earned himself a 24.5 bWAR during that time, an average of about 3.5 per season. Rogell twice posted a 5-WAR season, once in 1933 and again in Detroit’s World Series winning 1935 season. Rogell was excellent that season, posting a .275/.367/.388 slash line with 23 doubles, 11 triples, 74 RBI and a league-leading 2.7 dWAR. It was actually the second consecutive year Rogell would lead the entire league in dWAR. He would do it again in 1936. He also finished second in both 1932 and 1933.

Rogell’s offense was roughly league average, but his elite defense makes him not only one of the best defensive shortstops of the era, but one of the best in Detroit Tigers history. That earns him a spot just inside the top five shortstops in franchise history.

Carlos Guillen

Detroit Tigers: 2004-2011

Acquired in a truly great trade heist in Tigers history, Carlos Guillen went on to have a storied career in the Motor City. Guillen was with the Mariners from 1998-2003, before getting traded to the Tigers in exchange for minor league Juan Gonzalez and Ramon Santiago. Santiago made his way back to the Tigers in short order, and Guillen went on to make three All-Star games with the Tigers.

For his Tigers career, it’s easy to see why Guillen is ranked so highly: He slashed .297/.366/.476 with a 121 OPS+ and an 18.6 bWAR in 817 games, 487 of them at shortstop.

He started off with a bang in the Motor City, hitting .318/.379/.542 with 20 home runs, 97 RBI, 12 stolen bases and a blistering 143 OPS+ in 2004. He missed about half of the 2005 season but returned to form after that.

2006 is one of the greatest seasons in Detroit’s storied franchise history, and Guillen was a big reason why. Serving as the team’s primary shortstop and number five hitter, Guillen slashed .320/.400/.519 with 19 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 85 RBI, a 136 OPS+ and a 6.0 bWAR. He finished tenth in MVP voting. He was one of Detroit’s strongest postseason hitters as well.

Guillen went on to play five more seasons with the Tigers, although his last two were spent primarily on the disabled list. He was also moved around the diamond quite a bit, spending time at first base, second base and even left field. He ended up signing a minor league deal with the Mariners in February 2012 but voluntarily retired less than a month later.

Still, even though Guillen as a sub-par defender and spent a good chunk of time playing other positions, it’s clear he’s one of the greatest shortstops in Tigers history.

Harvey Kuenn

Detroit Tigers: 1952-1959

Kuenn’s career started out with a bang, and would have no doubted ended with a plaque in Cooperstown if injuries hadn’t derailed him in his early 30’s. Kuenn made his big league debut in 1952, hitting .325 in 80 at-bats. That was a sign of things to come, as Kuenn would hit over .300 eight times in his illustrious career.

Kuenn put together an incredibly impressive rookie season, hitting .308 with a league leading 209 hits and winning the Rookie of the Year Award. He proceeded to lead the league in hits again in 1954, 1956 and 1959. He also led the league in doubles three times (1955, 1958 and 1959) and won the batting title in 1959 with a .353 average.

Kuenn was an All-Star every season from 1953-1960 and finished in the top ten in MVP voting three times. Not surprising, as Kuenn’s offensive numbers with the Tigers are eye-popping. In 1049 games, Kuenn slashed a robust .314/.360/.426 with 1372 hits, 244 doubles, a 112 OPS+ and a 21 bWAR. He was well on his way to what looked to be a Hall of Fame career.

Unfortunately, injuries really took their toll on Kuenn as soon as he was out of the Motor City. Kuenn had two more good seasons, in 1960 and 1962, but looked below average otherwise. He was out of baseball by 1966 at just 35 years old. He only mustered 720 more hits and a 102 OPS+ the rest of the way. While that’s certainly not bad, his Hall of Fame light was dimmed.

He spent 15 years on the ballot, never earning more than 40% of the vote. Still, his time with Detroit was magical, and he deserves a spot just inside our top three Detroit Tigers shortstops of all-time.

Donie Bush

Detroit Tigers: 1908-1921

The first great shortstop in Detroit Tigers history, Donie Bush carved out a very lengthy 16 year career. Thirteen of those seasons came in the Motor City. Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane would have loved Bush, as he had little going for him offensively save for his ability to draw a walk.

Bush led the league in walks five times, including four years in a row from 1909-1912. He finished his career with 1,158 free passes, good for 68th all-time. Not bad for a guy who posed a career OPS+ of 91.

Bush was a stabilizing presence in a dominant lineup that featured Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford and Harry Heilmann during Bush’s tenure. While his .250 batting average and nine career home runs are nothing special, Bush was a solid offensive contributor.

His defense is what makes him truly stand out however, as he posted a 10.7 dWAR for his career. That’s good for 202nd all-time and eighth in Tigers history. Admittedly, defensive WAR is not the most reliable statistic, particularly when applied to players from over 100 years ago. Still, Bush was no doubt ahead of his peers with the glove, which led to a 38.5 bWAR in a Tigers uniform. That’s good enough for 13th in franchise history, ahead of Tigers legends like Dick McAuliffe, Lance Parrish and Willie Horton. It also places him second all-time among Tigers shortstops. Behind you-know-who.

Alan Trammell

Detroit Tigers: 1977-1996

Alan Trammell will become the 21st or 22nd Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer when he is inducted into Cooperstown in July. Depending on who speaks first between him and longtime teammate Jack Morris, who was also inducted via the Modern Era committee this past December.

Trammell’s induction has been a long-awaited one, as the shortstop posted some jaw dropping numbers during his nearly two decades in the Motor City.

Trammell’s numbers are staggering: 2,365 hits, 185 home runs, 236 stolen bases, six all-star game appearances, four Gold Glove awards, three Silver Slugger Awards, a World Series MVP and a 70.4 WAR.

He was a catalyst for the 1984 World Series winning team, hitting .314 with 14 home runs and 19 stolen bases in the regular season and winning the WS MVP by hitting .450 with two home runs in Detroit’s five game victory over the Padres.

His best season may have been 1987 however, when he hit a scorching .343 with 28 home runs, 21 stolen bases and 105 RBI.

It took Trammell an awful long time to get his due. His 70.4 bWAR is higher than that of Barry Larkin, Joe Cronin, Ernie Banks, Pee Wee Reese and Lou Boudreau, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame. He topped out at 40.9% of the votes on the BBWAA ballot, before finally gaining recognition last year.

Regardless of his Hall of Fame status, there was never any doubt that Trammell is the greatest shortstop in Tigers history, and arguably one of their top three or four greatest players ever.

Next: Tigers All-Decade-Team: 1990's

Tell us what you think! Is Iglesias deserving of a spot in the top-ten? Should Carlos Guillen be ahead of Harvey Kuenn? Anyone we missed? We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter.