Detroit’s baseball story is as much about thunder off the bat as it is about arms on the mound. From the bandbox days of Tiger Stadium to the deep alleys of Comerica Park, the franchise has cycled through eras and identities, but the throughline remains the same: line drives that split gaps, power that plays in any weather, and hitters whose at-bats feel inevitable when the game tilts late.
The Silver Slugger, introduced in 1980, honors exactly that kind of damage — recognizing the top offensive players at each position. It’s not a nostalgia prize; it’s a snapshot of who controlled the batter’s box in a given year, weighing the full toolbox of production: average, on-base, slug, run creation, and timely impact.