Detroit Tigers: Best draft picks by Round in team history

Round 4 – Dan Petry

(Honorable Mentions: Jason Thompson, Mike Henneman)

This was one of the few that was tough to decide, as Petry, Henneman and Thompson all had relatively similar production in the Motor City. Petry ended up winning out, thanks mostly to his longevity and his important role on Detroit’s 1984 World Series winning team.

Petry was drafted in 1976, the same draft that produced Hall of Famers Alan Trammell and Jack Morris. He pitched for the Tigers from 1979-1987 and again from 1990-1991. He finished his Tigers career with a 119-93 record, 3.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, a 17.5 bWAR, an All-Star appearance and two top ten finishes in the Cy Young voting.

1984 was perhaps his best season, as he went 18-8 with a 3.24 ERA and seven complete games.

Other Fourth Round Picks

Petry narrowly edged out Jason Thompson, who was selected a year prior in 1975. Thompson’s career 25 bWAR is higher than Petry’s, but only 11.9 of it was in a Tigers uniform. The slugging first baseman hit 98 home runs in five seasons in the Motor City, including 31 in 1977.

Mike Henneman is one of the greatest relievers in Tigers history, with a 3.05 ERA and 154 saves in a Tigers uniform. He played from 1987-1995 in Detroit, and was an All-Star in 1989. Cody Ross and Andres Torres are the only other fourth rounders with a career WAR over 2.0.

The Tigers prospect with the best chance to make this list is Kyle Funkhouser, who was a fourth round pick in 2016. He’s climbed up the prospect rankings and has a great chance to become a solid rotation arm in the next year or two.