9. Alan Trammell

For two decades, Alan Trammell was the steady, brilliant pulse of the Detroit Tigers. Arriving as a teenager in 1977, he didn't just occupy the shortstop position; he revolutionized it alongside his double-play partner, Lou Whitaker. Together, they formed the longest-running middle infield duo in the history of the sport, a partnership that defined the Tigers' identity throughout the 1980s. While he often found himself in the shadow of contemporary giants like Cal Ripken Jr., Trammell’s mix of defensive elegance and offensive punch eventually forced the baseball world to acknowledge him as one of the premier shortstops of any generation.

Trammell’s career in Detroit was a study in all-around excellence. He established himself as a premier run-preventer early on, securing four Gold Gloves between 1980 and 1984. However, it was during the historic 1984 campaign that he cemented his status as a big-game performer. As the Tigers roared to a 35-5 start and an eventual World Series title, Trammell served as the catalyst, hitting .314 in the regular season before exploding in the Fall Classic. He earned World Series MVP honors by batting a staggering .450 against the Padres, including a two-homer performance in Game 4 that accounted for all of Detroit's scoring.

His offensive game reached an even higher level in 1987, a season that saw him nearly carry the Tigers to another championship single-handedly. Moving to the cleanup spot at the request of manager Sparky Anderson, Trammell responded with a .343 average, 28 home runs, and 105 RBIs. He became the first shortstop in major league history to hit at least .340 with 20 homers and 100 RBIs in a single season. Despite these historic numbers and a late-season surge that secured the AL East division title, he narrowly finished as the MVP runner-up, a result that many modern analysts point to as one of the great voting oversights in history.

He was a model of consistency, batting over .300 in seven different seasons and amassing 2,365 hits. Whether he was turning a signature double play or delivering a clutch hit, he played with a quiet, focused intensity that made him the unquestioned leader of the clubhouse.

The story in Detroit reached its long-awaited conclusion in 2018 when the Veterans Committee finally inducted him into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  With the Tigers, Trammell compiled 2,365 hits, 185 home runs, and 1,003 RBIs while securing the 1984 World Series MVP.