The 2025 Detroit Tigers are the fourth team in franchise history to feature six All-Stars. The other three teams had a mixed bag of playoff success.
Based on the number of All-Stars they have this year, the 2025 Detroit Tigers are one of the greatest teams in franchise history.
But that may be a misleading stat — or, at least, it doesn't tell the whole story.
The Tigers are sending six players to the 2025 All-Star Game, which will take place on Tuesday, June 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta (8 p.m., Fox). Four of those players will be starters: second baseman Gleyber Torres, outfielder Riley Greene, outfielder Javier Báez and pitcher Tarik Skubal.
Additionally, two other Tigers were named as replacement reserves: utility player Zach McKinstry and pitcher Casey Mize.
That ties a franchise record for number of players sent to an All-Star game with three other teams: the 1984-85 Tigers and the 2013 Tigers, all ranking among the most historic teams in Tigers history. But does that mean the 2025 team will make history with a long postseason run?
Let's see how the other All-Star-laden Tigers teams ended up:
1984 Tigers (104-58, won World Series)
All-Stars: RP Willie Hernandez, OF Chet Lemon, SP Jack Morris, C Lance Parrish, SS Alan Trammell, 2B Lou Whitaker.
The buzz: It's fitting that the 1984 Tigers squad, arguably the best team in franchise history, was also the first in club history to get six All-Star selections.
Outside of winning the team's first title in 16 years, the 1984 team may be best remembered for starting the season 35-5, the best 40-game start in MLB history. The 1984 Tigers went on to win a franchise record 104 games and their third World Series title, taking four of five games over the San Diego Padres.
Celebrate 125 seasons of the Detroit Tigers with our new book!
1985 Tigers (84-77, missed playoffs)
All-Stars: RP Willie Hernandez, SP Jack Morris, C Lance Parrish, SP Dan Petry, SS Alan Trammell, 2B Lou Whitaker.
The buzz: The 1985 team shared five All-Stars from the 1984 team, the only difference being pitcher Dan Petry replacing outfielder Chet Lemon on the 1985 team.
It was a relatively down year for the Tigers, however. Detroit entered the All-Star break at 48-37, down 3½ games to the Toronto Blue Jays and sitting third in the AL East. But the Tigers went 36-40 after the All-Star break and missed out on the playoffs one year after their World Series title.
2013 Tigers (93-69, lost in ALCS)
All-Stars: 3B Miguel Cabrera, 1B Prince Fielder, OF Torii Hunter, SS Jhonny Peralta, SP Max Scherzer, SP Justin Verlander.
Much like the 1985 Tigers, the 2013 Tigers getting six players on the All-Star team might have been a function of the team's World Series appearance the year before.
But unlike the 1985 Tigers, the 2013 Tigers got really close to reaching the same mark from the year previous.
The 2013 Tigers won a division title and then beat the Oakland Athletics in five games in the ALDS. They came within two wins of reaching the World Series in back-to-back years, but fell in six games to the eventual champion Boston Red Sox.
With an 11½ game lead and the best record in baseball, the 2025 Tigers will almost certainly make the playoffs barring a historic collapse after the All-Star break. But with a mixed bag of success among the other three Tigers teams with just as many All-Stars, the number of All-Star players may not be a useful predictor of where the 2025 Tigers will end up.
You can reach Christian at[email protected]
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Where 2025 Detroit Tigers stack up in the franchise's All-Star history
Category: Baseball
