The Detroit Tigers Guide To The Sweet 16

Detroit Tigers Sweet 16 Matchup 6: Florida State vs. Michigan

Notable Detroit Tigers:

Florida State: Drew Carlton, Johnny Grubb, Larry Rothschild, Devon Travis

Michigan: Chris Fetter, Bill Freehan, Charlie Gehringer, Rick Leach

Florida State is one of the powerhouses of college baseball, but for whatever reason good pros from FSU haven’t really found their way to the Detroit Tigers. Drew Carlton was a 32nd-round pick in 2017 who has been a valuable minor-league reliever, if not a legitimate MLB prospect. Johnny Grubb had a solid big-league career, and he spent his final five seasons in pro ball as a bench bat with the Tigers. Larry Rothschild barely pitched for Detroit — just seven appearances — but he’s had a long career as a big-league coach. Devon Travis might be the best of this bunch, but the Tigers traded him for Anthony Gose, and then injuries ruined Travis’ career.

If you know your Tigers history then there’s not much to discuss here. Chris Fetter is the current pitching coach, and he’s highly regarded within the game. Rick Leach is a Michigan high-school legend who was a Heisman Trophy finalist as a quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines, but he never really found MLB success. Bill Freehan is the best catcher in franchise history, and he was an 11-time All-Star and should probably be in the Hall of Fame. And then there’s The Mechanical Man, Charlie Gehringer, who IS in the Hall of Fame, and is one of the best second basemen ever.

Winner: Michigan in a walk.