Who are the last 5 Tigers players to have 100 RBI in a single season?

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Man, have the Detroit Tigers played some bad baseball over the past several years. We've seen some pitchers who can't throw strikes, fielders who can't field or catch a baseball, and most notably, hitters who can't hit.

Some of the statlines that Tigers hitters have posted over the last few years have been embarrassing. I mean, the team leader in home runs in 2019 was Brandon Dixon with 15. No wonder that team only won 47 games.

It's been even longer since the Tigers had someone drive in 100 runs in a season. The closest someone has come to that in the last five years was Nick Castellanos in 2018 when he had 89 RBI.

So who are the some of the most recent Tigers hitters to have 100 RBI in a single season? Our mission today is to find that out.

Here are the 5 most recent Tigers hitters to have 100 RBI in a single season

1. Nick Castellanos, 2017 (101)

Not only does Castellanos have the most RBI by a Tigers hitter in the last five seasons, he's also the last Tiger to drive in 100 runs in a single season. Justin Upton came close that same year with 94, but Castellanos is the only one who actually did it.

This was Nick's best offensive season with the Tigers in the more tradtional stats, but some of his highest sabremetric stats wouldn't come until the following season, where he had Tiger-career highs in walk rate (7.2%, wRC+ (129), and wOBA (.341).

Nick's time with the Tigers ended on a bit of a sour note, but he was one of the few homegrown prospects they had that panned out, and stayed on the team for a lengthy period of time. I think non-Tigers fans sometimes forget that he started his career in Detroit.

2. Miguel Cabrera, 2016 (108), 2014 (109), 2013 (137)

It's no surprise to see Miggy come up on this list. He's the only player with multiple 100+ RBI seasons in the last 10 years.

The 2016 season was his last truly dominant season, as he hit 38 homers and had a 153 wRC+ and a .247 ISP. He hasn't come close to these stats ever since.

His 2014 campaign didn't feature quite as much power as we had grown accustomed to at the time, but he was still a force to be reckoned with. Plus, it's not like 25 home runs and a .211 ISO with a 148 wRC+ is bad or anything.

The 2013 season was the year after his triple crown season in 2012, and one could argue it was even better. He had a higher ISO, higher slugging percentage, higher wRC+, and accumulated more WAR that season. This goes without saying, but he was truly one of, if not the best hitter of his generation.

Miggy may not be what he once was, but Tigers fans should be grateful for him while he's still here. It may be hard to believe, but there's only about six weeks left in his career. Enjoy him while we have him.

3. J.D. Martinez, 2015 (102)

It seems like J.D. Martinez just got better once he left Detroit, but he was still pretty darn good wearing the Old English D. His 2015 season was arguably his best, since that's the only year he played a full season with the Tigers.

He hit 38 home runs and was worth 5.2 fWAR, which is the second-highest of his career to this point. He was one heck of a find by Dave Dombrowski.

Most Tigers fans will think of the pinch-hit home run he hit off Chris Sale in 2016 after coming off the IL when they think of J.D. Martinez, but he was much more than that one homer. He was so good with the Tigers. He just came up right at the end of their run. It would be interesting to see what would have happened had the Astros let him go even just one year earlier and he fixed his swing then.

4. Victor Martinez, 2014 (103)

Remember contract year Victor Martinez? Man, he was so good. He turned the clock back four or five years to earn himself one last contract with the Tigers.

He hit .330 with 32 homers, a 168 wRC+, and a 4.5 fWAR. This was his age-35 season, and he had his best season as a Tiger.

The Tigers gave him a four-year deal following this season, he never really lived up to this again. He did have a nice season in 2016 at age 37, but his age really caught up to him after that.

He kept his ability to make contact and avoid strikeouts til the very end, but the power completely evaporated. He was kinda like Miggy is now. Still, his 2014 season will forever be the stuff of legends.

5. Prince Fielder, 2013 (106)

For whatever reason, Prince Fielder is not looked back upon fondly by Tigers fans. He signed a nine-year deal with the Tigers before the 2012 season, and he produced.

In that 2012 season, he hit 30 home runs, had a 153 wRC+, put up a 5-WAR season, and walked more than he struck out. He was a perfect complement to Miguel Cabrera in the lineup.

His production did dip a bit in 2013, but he still hit 25 homers and had a 126 wRC+. He would be traded to the Rangers for Ian Kinsler that offseason, but Tigers fans still do not like him to this day.

Maybe it's the fact that they had to give him a $6.9 million check for several years as part of the trade to Texas, but that's not exactly his fault. He had two good seasons here, including one great one.

He also succumbed to the injury bug a couple years after he was traded to Texas, so the Tigers dodged a bullet there. But again, not entirely his fault.

Did the Prince Fielder contract age well in hindsight? No. But again, he was productive while he was here. I would have rather had him for those two years than not have him at all.

Next. Detroit Tigers: 3 former players who have found success elsewhere. These former Tigers have been great for their new teams this season.. dark

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