The Detroit Tigers may not be serious contenders for the playoffs in the upcoming season. But, this wasn’t always the case. At one point in this decade, they had one of the best ever MLB pitching rotations.
Under owner Mike Ilitch, GM Dave Dombrowski, and Manager Jim Leyland, the Detroit Tigers once had an MLB pitching rotation that turned out to be one of the best ever that never won a World Series. It was rivaled only by the 2014 Tigers rotation, which included not just one, but four future Cy Young winners.
With the recent announcement of the Doug Fister‘s retirement from baseball, it is worth looking at the success of the incredibly dominant pitching rotation that made the Tigers the baseball team to beat between 2007 and 2014.
In 2013, the Tigers finished at the top of the AL Central, winning 93 games. The pitching rotation was headed by a 30-year-old Justin Verlander, 28-year-old Max Scherzer, 29-year-olds Doug Fister and Anibal Sanchez, and a very young 24-year-old Rick Porcello. By the time the season was over, Verlander, Scherzer, and Fister would each log over 200 innings. And, only Porcello had an ERA that was over 4.00 (4.32 to be exact).
Along with the outstanding rotation, the team also had a collection of power hitters who knew their way around the plate. Miguel Cabrera won his second MVP award in 2013, having just been awarded the Triple Crown in 2012. Victor Martinez returned to the team after being out in 2012 for knee surgery. Prince Fielder was also on this team, manning first base and playing in his third consecutive season of 162 games.
Veterans Torii Hunter and Austin Jackson dominated in the outfield. But, the Tigers also had youth on their side, with young players Jose Iglesias, Avisail Garcia, and Nick Castellanos seeing playing time on this All-Star Team.
But, the 2013 Tigers could not get the job done. They won the ALDS 3-2 over the Oakland Athletics behind epic pitching from Verlander. But, they lost the ALCS 2-4 to the Boston Red Sox thanks to David Ortiz and timely hitting.
Now that the first member of 2013 Tigers rotation has retired, let’s take a look at how they stack up against other memorable rotations.