Detroit Tigers: Best September call-ups in team history

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OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 10: Avisail Garcia #34 of the Detroit Tigers hits a RBI single against the Oakland Athletics during Game Four of the American League Division Series at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 10, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

5. 1995 Tony Clark – .238/.294/.396 with 3 HR in 109 PA

Clark made his long-awaited big league debut on September 3, 1995. The former second overall pick took over the everyday duties at first base, pushing Cecil Fielder into the full-time DH role. Clark’s slash line wasn’t extraordinary, but he displayed power right off the bat, which ended up being his trademark.

Of course, Clark immediately became Detroit’s premier slugger, hitting 27 or more home runs in each of the next four seasons. He was one of Detroit’s best players of the 1990’s, although he never quite reached the potential many had hoped for him.

4. 2012 Avisail Garcia – .319/.373/.319 in 51 PA

Garcia debuted for the Tigers as a fresh-faced 21-year-old, immediately setting Comerica Park ablaze with his .319 average down the stretch. He looked prime to take over as Detroit’s every day right fielder starting in 2013.

However, things went a different direction with ‘mini-Miggy’. First, Garcia was forced to start in center field for the first half of the 2013 season. He started 23 games in CF, with three in LF and five in RF. His defensive metrics were unbelievably bad, and his hitting wasn’t much better. Garcia slashed a lowly .241/.273/.373 with two home runs in 2013, souring his welcome in Detroit.

When Jhonny Peralta was popped for a 50-game suspension, the Tigers decided to flip Garcia and reliever Bryan Villarreal in a three-team trade that netted them Jose Iglesias. The trade looked great for the first few years, but after Garcia broke out in a big way in 2017 (.330 with 18 home runs) the trade has started to lose some of its luster.

Garcia’s overall career in Detroit wasn’t great, but he was so young. It’s easy to forget that even now he’s only 27 years old, and could be a big part of Chicago’s future.

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