Detroit Tigers All-Time 25-Man Roster
By Matt Snyder
Sep 7, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Third Base – Miguel Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera has spent most of his Detroit Tigers career at first base, but he put up the two best seasons by a third baseman in franchise history with his back-to-back MVP campaigns of 2012 and 2013.
One of the very best hitters in organizational history, Cabrera’s ability to play a below-average (yet reasonable) third made him one of the most valuable players in all of baseball.
Cabrera no longer has the range to play the position effectively, but his hands have always been good, and his throwing arm is among the strongest and most accurate in the game.
The debate for best Tigers hitter of all time comes down to Cabrera and Ty Cobb, but Cabrera is certainly the best hitter in team history who has also hit for power.
In his career Cabrera led the American League in home runs twice, batting average four times, on-base percentage four times, and total bases twice.
Cabrera’s career batting line as a member of the Tigers stands at an impressive .326/.406/.574 (in an age where offense has been relatively suppressed). His line improves to .338/.417/.620 for those two dominating years he spent playing the third base position full time in Detroit.
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