6. Detroit Tigers
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The final team to pass on Kershaw was the Detroit Tigers. They took — yes, not only another pitcher, but a LHP — Andrew Miller with their first overall pick in the draft and probably don’t like to talk about missing out on the better choice taken immediately thereafter.
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A world with Kershaw being on the Tigers would be a very different one. He might have joined Justin Verlander there during his dominant years. Also, interestingly enough is that one of the better pitchers taken in the same draft aside from Kershaw was Scherzer who was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks 11th overall. Scherzer, of course, won a Cy Young in 2013 with Detroit after landing there via a 2009 trade.
Miller, meanwhile, is yet to be named to an All-Star roster. He played for four different teams, mostly as a reliever, before Kershaw won his third Cy Young and first MVP in 2014.
Miller was fortunate to land a four-year $36 million contract with the Yankees recently. He has been a strong bullpen arm for the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles since 2012, although I’m sure if those two teams and the Yankees could choose between Miller and Kershaw for the long-term, all would prefer that No. 22 suits up for them.