Top 5 debut seasons in Tigers history

February 1st, 2021

The Tigers have enjoyed their share of first-season sensations, sometimes from rookie phenoms, other times from big-name acquisitions. Sometimes, like with Ivan Rodriguez and Miguel Cabrera, stardom is expected upon arrival. Other times, like with Mark Fidrych, it comes seemingly out of nowhere, making the fandom even greater.

With that in mind, here¡¯s one reporter¡¯s opinion of the five greatest debut seasons in Tigers history. Please note, though, the difference between debut season and rookie season. Though Lou Whitaker and Justin Verlander won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 1978 and 2006, respectively, they made their Major League debuts with the Tigers the year before. So at the risk of being too technical, we¡¯re leaving them out of consideration for this list.

1. , 1976
Key facts: AL Rookie of the Year, ERA title, Cy Young runner-up, All-Star, 9.6 bWAR

Nobody had an immediate impact quite like Fidrych. Not only did The Bird earn AL Rookie of the Year in 1976, he became a cultural phenomenon with his lanky frame, big hair, aw-shucks personality and pitching antics. He patted down the mound each inning to make sure he wasn¡¯t stepping into the opposing pitcher¡¯s ruts when he pitched. He talked to the ball to calm himself down and keep his focus. He applauded his teammates whenever they made a good defensive play behind him.

All the eccentricities overshadowed the fact that the 21-year-old Fidrych, despite one full season of Minor League ball, could really pitch. After opening the season in the bullpen, Fidrych joined the rotation by winning eight consecutive starts, including six straight complete games -- two of them going 11 innings -- and he didn¡¯t look back. He was the AL starting pitcher in the All-Star Game, tossed two innings, then came back three days later with an 11-inning shutout of the A¡¯s. He led the AL with 24 complete games and had a Major League-best 2.34 ERA that year.

2. Willie Hernandez, 1984
Key facts: AL MVP, Cy Young, World Series title, 4.8 bWAR

For a relief pitcher to win a Cy Young Award is difficult, even in the current era when bullpens are more important than ever. For a reliever to win that and an MVP Award is a rarity. Not only is Hernandez one of just three to pull it off, he was a runaway winner in MVP voting from a dominant Tigers team that had no shortage of worthy candidates. He was that good for that year, even though he shared the closer role with Aurelio Lopez until midseason.

Hernandez had been an effective reliever but not a closer until the Tigers traded for him near the end of Spring Training in 1984. However, he had been a workhorse reliever, tossing 115 1/3 innings the previous season between the Cubs and Phillies. It¡¯s not just that Hernandez converted 32 saves in 33 opportunities in ¡®84 (35-for-37 if postseason is included). It¡¯s that 21 of those 32 regular-season saves required more than three outs. Six of them lasted three innings or longer. With a screwball and a cutter, Hernandez finished with 140 1/3 innings that year, just 28 fewer than fourth starter Juan Berenguer.

3. , 2004
Key facts: All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, 10th in MVP voting, 4.5 bWAR

Pudge already had a Hall of Fame resume before he signed with the Tigers as a free agent just before Spring Training. Once he arrived in Detroit, he was an icon for the Tigers¡¯ revival as owner Mike Ilitch invested in underappreciated free agents to fuel a rally from 119 losses in 2003 to the World Series in '06. Once he got on the field, Rodriguez was a huge part of the rebound. Rodriguez hit .334 with an .893 OPS, 31 doubles and 86 RBIs in '04. He hit .500 for the month of June.

4. , 2006
Key facts: 97 K¡¯s in 83 1/3 innings, fastball clocked at 103 mph

Unlike Verlander, Zumaya hadn¡¯t appeared in the Major Leagues before Jim Leyland put him in Detroit¡¯s bullpen to begin the 2006 season. The result was a hard-throwing strikeout specialist and a rookie sensation who became a key part of the Tigers¡¯ run to the World Series. The 21-year-old picked up six wins and a save out of the bullpen, gave up just 56 hits over 83 1/3 innings, and generally overpowered hitters with a fastball that topped out at 103 mph on the radar gun at the Metrodome.

5. , 2008
Key facts: Led AL in home runs, total bases

The Tigers traded a half-dozen prospects for Cabrera the previous offseason to bolster their World Series chances. They came nowhere close to that in 2008, finishing last in the AL Central, but Cabrera lived up to his billing as a budding young slugger and superstar in the making. After a slow first half, he took off after the All-Star break, hitting 26 home runs from July 1 to the end of the season. His league-leading 37 home runs included two walk-off shots.

Honorable mention: , 2010
Key facts: AL Rookie of the Year runner-up, 12 Defensive Runs Saved, 5.1 bWAR

The Tigers weren¡¯t expecting Jackson to make the big leagues right away when they acquired the Yankees prospect in the Curtis Granderson trade the previous December. He had been good but not great in Triple-A the year before. Not only did Jackson become the everyday center fielder, he was the leadoff hitter, scoring 103 runs and playing standout defense in spacious Comerica Park. He had a very good case for Rookie of the Year, but lost out to Rangers reliever Neftal¨ª Feliz.

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com