Story by
Reliving the 2014 Detroit Tigers Pitching Staff
- Story by
- Reliving the 2014 Detroit Tigers Pitching Staff
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
This offseason will bring plenty of opportunities for Detroit Tigers fans to take a trip down memory lane . With Comerica Park entering a new era as Fifth Third Park, a 26-year chapter of Tigers history is coming to a close. Although the stadium itself isn't changing, the new name will take some getting used to for fans who have spent decades making memories there.
However, rather than looking back at one specific game or season at the ballpark, it's time to revisit one of the most dominant pitching staffs in Tigers history: the 2014 rotation. It featured three former Cy Young Award winners, a collection of postseason veterans and five pitchers who could all be approaching the end of their major league careers.
Advertisement
The two biggest names in that rotation were Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, both of whom made their final major league starts in 2026. Well, at least one of them may have made his final start. Verlander brought his career full circle by making his final start at Comerica Park, where his journey with Detroit began two decades earlier. Meanwhile, Scherzer remains the lone member of the rotation who has yet to officially announce his retirement, saying he will wait until later in the offseason before making a decision about his future.
Verlander arrived in Detroit in 2006 and immediately captured the hearts of Tigers fans, winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award. By 2014, he was an established ace, sharing a rotation with Scherzer, who had just won his first Cy Young Award the previous season.
The Tigers made an already formidable rotation even more intimidating by acquiring David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays in July 2014. Price made 11 regular-season starts for Detroit, adding another elite arm to a staff that already featured three consecutive AL Cy Young Award winners.
Verlander won the award in 2011, along with the American League MVP. Price followed with his Cy Young in 2012, and Scherzer claimed the honor in 2013. Having three former winners at the top of the rotation was an embarrassment of riches, but the Tigers weren't finished there.
Advertisement
Anibal Sanchez was another outstanding arm who might have been the ace of a different rotation. Instead, he was surrounded by some of the best pitchers in baseball. Sanchez led the American League with a 2.57 ERA in 2013, the same season Scherzer won his first Cy Young Award. He also delivered one of the most memorable performances of his career that year, striking out 17 Atlanta Braves in a single game.
Rounding out the rotation was Rick Porcello, affectionately known as "Rick P" to some Tigers fans. Porcello recorded six consecutive double-digit-win seasons during his time in Detroit, establishing himself as a reliable member of the starting staff. He later joined the Boston Red Sox and reached another level in 2016, winning the American League Cy Young Award after going 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA.
Despite the remarkable talent in the rotation, the Tigers' 2014 season ended in disappointment. In Brad Ausmus' first year as manager, Detroit reached the postseason but was swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Division Series. The Orioles advanced to the AL Championship Series but fell short of reaching the World Series.
At the time, few could have known that the series would mark the beginning of the end for that era of Tigers baseball. Detroit had assembled a roster capable of competing with the best teams in the league, yet it couldn't turn that talent into a championship. The organization would not return to the postseason until 2024.
Advertisement
Now, more than a decade later, it looks as though the entire 2014 rotation may be moving on from baseball. Verlander has seemingly closed the book on his playing career, while Scherzer is the last one standing. The veteran right-hander has said he will wait until later in the offseason before deciding whether to retire, leaving the door open for one more chapter.
The Tigers never captured a World Series title with this remarkable group, and that remains one of the biggest disappointments of the era. Still, alongside the talented 2012 rotation, the 2014 pitching staff will always hold a special place in Detroit baseball history.
For a generation of Tigers fans, those five arms represented the kind of pitching dominance that could make any opponent look overmatched. Whether Scherzer decides to return for another season or officially calls it a career, the legacy of this rotation in Detroit is secure. The names may be moving out of the game, but the memories of what they accomplished in a Tigers uniform will last far longer.
