The 6 best drafts in Detroit Tigers history

Number 4 Best Detroit Tigers Draft – 1985

The most common things heard on Detroit radio airwaves in the early 2000s were traffic and weather updates, and complaints about the John Smoltz trade. Eventually those complaints came with an equally common retort that Doyle Alexander, Detroit’s return from Atlanta, was absolutely essential for the Tigers during their fondly remembered 1987 season. Still, it’s understandable for fans to be a bit upset about trading away a future Hall-of-Famer.

But we’re here to celebrate the drafting of that player in the first place. A native of Lansing, Michigan, Smoltz was picked by the Tigers in the 22nd round and went on to become an eight-time All-Star with the Braves. He won the Cy Young award in 1996, and his 55 saves in 2002 is tied for the fourth most in a season in MLB history. He also happens to be one of the greatest post-season pitchers ever, with a 2.67 ERA in 209 career playoff innings.

There’s not much else to say about the rest of that draft class. First-round pick Randy Nosek pitched to a 10.22 ERA and -0.7 WAR in 12.1 career innings, while third rounder Steve Searcy outdid him with -2.0 career WAR in 187 innings. Scott Lusader (6th round) didn’t have much of a career, but he did hit a key September home run for the Tigers in 1987, while Doug Strange (7th round) played for part of nine big-league seasons, and Mark Lee (15th round) saw 116 games as a reliever for Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Baltimore.