Detroit Tigers World Series wins: When was the last time they won a championship?

The Tigers broke a decade-long postseason appearance drought in 2024, leaving the Angels standing alone for the longest active run of failing to make the playoffs. It'll be hard to ever stop talking about what the Tigers were able to do last season, when they went from a 0.2% chance of making the postseason in early August to not only making it in but beating the Astros in the first round (Houston's first loss that early in October since the beginning of their run of dominance in 2017).

This year, the Tigers have an 18.5% chance of making the postseason and 1% chance of winning the World Series per PECOTA, but they've already seen worse odds than that.

The last time the Tigers appeared in the World Series was, of course, 2012, when they were swept by the Giants. That broke a six-year World Series appearance drought that began after they lost the 2006 Fall Classic to the Cardinals and that, in turn, broke a 22-year drought from their last appearance (and win) in 1984.

The Tigers are tied with the Braves for the ninth-most World Series wins in MLB history at four. 1984 was the last time they won the whole thing, but they also won in 1935, 1945, and 1968.

Tigers History: Detroit has four World Series wins in franchise history from 1935 to 1984

Detroit has also stood atop the American League 11 times — 1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1968, 1984, 2006, and 2012 — and won the AL Central four times — 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

That 1984 team was led by Tigers legends Alan Trammell, Kirk Gibson, Lou Whitaker, and Chet Lemon in the lineup; Dan Petry and Jack Morris in the rotation; and Willie Hernández as closer anchoring the bullpen. Hernández recorded the last out of Detroit's victory against the Padres, when he got Mr. Padre Tony Gwynn to fly out, as San Diego went down four games to one.

Those 1984 Tigers also still hold the franchise record for most wins in a single season, when they led the AL East (which, at that time, held seven teams) with 104 wins, and the season was the most-attended year of any at Tiger Stadium.

The Tigers have the seventh-longest World Series win drought, behind the Guardians (last won in 1948), the Brewers, Padres, Mariners (who have never won), Pirates (last won in 1979) and Orioles (last won in 1983).

The 2025's squads of breaking that streak don't look great now, but again, the Tigers have beat worse odds and there hasn't been this much excitement among the fanbase in quite some time.