Detroit Tigers 5 all-time best catchers in franchise history

Counting down the top 5 best catchers in Detroit Tigers history

The Detroit Tigers have had no shortage of great players play for them over the years, and that especially rings true at the catcher position. The team has had many great backstops throughout the history of the franchise.

Today will be a fun venture into the top five best catchers in franchise history. The top three was pretty easy to narrow down, but No. 4-5 were pretty tricky.

The guidelines for this list are pretty simple. They had to have played for the Detroit Tigers for at least four seasons and their primary position had to be catcher. So for example, Brandon Inge will not be on this list despite coming up as a catcher. He later switched to third base primarily, and also played some outfield.

Before we begin, if there's anybody you feel like we missed, feel free to let us know in the comments section. I'm sure there will be lots of debate over this one. Please keep things civil, though.

With that out of the way, let us begin the top five catchers in Detroit Tigers history.

5. Alex Avila

This first one might seem a bit controversial, but hear me out. Avila, obviously the son of former Tigers GM Al Avila, made his MLB debut in 2009 and was the Tigers starting catcher from 2010-14, making the American League All-Star team in 2011. That was by far his best season, slashing .295/.389/.506 with 19 home runs and a 4.5 fWAR.

He never quite lived up to those heights again, but he was always a solid catcher who could get on base and cut down runners at a respectable rate.

He played for the Chicago White Sox in 2016 before returning a year later and having an offensive revival. He had a 125 wRC+ in 2017, the second-highest of his career. He did so well that the Tigers were able to flip him and reliever Justin Wilson as the trade deadline for INFs Jeimer Candelario and Isaac Paredes.

Avila just makes the cut here over Johnny Bassler, who played for the Tigers all the way back in the 1920s. He actually had a higher career WAR than Avila, but only hit one home run during his entire career.

That was about a century ago, and the game has obviously changed a ton since then. The competition back then was far worse than it was in the 2010s. For that reason, Avila is the fifth-best catcher in Detroit Tigers history.

3. Mickey Tettleton

Tettleton just makes the cut here, playing the minimum four years. But he played his best seasons with the Detroit Tigers.

He came to Detroit following three years with the Orioles. He played here from 1991-94, and he was an awesome offensive catcher. There aren't a lot of catchers who can hit for as much power as Tettleton did.

The switch-hitter hit at least 30 home runs in each of his first three season with the Tigers while also putting up a wRC+ of at least 125 in all four years with the club. He also walked a bunch. He had two straight seasons with a WAR of at least 5.0.

Tettleton also had an unorthodox batting stance in which he held the bat in slanted position. Detroit Tigers 2022 first-round pick Jace Jung's batting stance has drawn some comparisons to Tettleton's for that very reason.

Tettleton was just a good old-fashioned ballplayer. He crushed baseballs, got on base, and played solid defense. All that makes him the third-best catcher in Detroit Tigers history.

2. Lance Parrish

Depending on who you ask, Parrish should be No. 1 on this list. He holds a lot of nostagia for fans simply because he was an integral aprt of the 1984 World Series Championship team. There's one catcher that's better, which we'll discuss shortly. But before we do that, let's talk about The Big Wheel.

Parrish was a six-time All-Star during his time in Detroit, which includes five straight selections from 1982-86. His best season came in that 1982 campaign where he had an fWAR of 5.0.

He had a 3.0 fWAR in 1984, but hit a career-high 33 homers. His home run in Game 5 of the 1984 World Series off Padres All-Star reliever Goose Gossage was especially memorable.

He also was a great defensive catcher, winning three Gold Gloves during his time in Detroit. He was the complete package behind the dish.

Parrish went on to join the coaching ranks, including coaching in the Tigers organization. He was the third base coach for the Tigers in the late '90s and early 2000s, and eventually came back to coach in the minor leagues in 2014.

He was the manager for the Double-A Erie SeaWolves from 2014-17, then for the West Michigan Whitecaps from 2018-19. It's safe to say he's a Tiger through and through.

1. Bill Freehan

Freehan just had to be the top catcher on this list. He's the only player on here to play his entire career with the Tigers, playing in 11 All-Star games and finishing as the MVP runner-up in 1968 en route to helping the Tigers win the World Series.

He played his first full season in 1963 and never looked back. In 1964 he had a 5.1 fWAR. He had a 7.0 fWAR in the aformentioned 1968 season. He was one of the greatest of his era.

Freehan is perhaps best known for catching the final out of the 1968 World Series. Cardinals' Tim McCarver popped the ball up in foul ground and Freehan caught it to seal the championship.

He was an outstanding defensive catcher as well, winning five Gold Gloves in his career. One of his other memorable moments came in that same 1968 World Series, this time in Game 5. Willie Horton had a great throw from left field to nab hall-of-fame speedster Lou Brock at home plate, but Freehan did a great job of blocking the plate as well.

Freehan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's late in his life and passed away in 2021 at the age of 79. There have been several great tributes done in his honor. He was not only the best catcher in Detroit Tigers history, but also one of the best overall players in the history of the franchise.