Can Slumping Detroit Tigers Star Save His Job Down The Stretch?
The Detroit Tigers have been significantly better than expected this year, surprisingly staying in the playoff race into early September.
No thanks to Spencer Torkelson, however.
The 25-year-old first baseman has been a massive disappointment this year. After watching him slash .233/.313/.446 with 31 home runs and 94 RBI in just his second season last year, many Tigers fans hoped he could take another step forward in 2024, or at least stay the same.
Instead, he's endured major regression at the plate, hitting a paltry .214/.279/.370 with eight home runs and 28 RBI through 73 games.
Torkelson got off to a terrible start this year and never recovered. He didn't hit his first home run of the season until May 12 and was demoted to Triple-A in early June. At the time, he was batting just .201/.266/.330.
After a solid stint with the Toledo Mud Hens (.239/.356/.442), Torkelson returned to Detroit on Aug. 17. He provided an immediate boost for the Tigers as they clawed back into contention, batting .333/.391/.667 with three homers and eight RBI in his first 11 games back.
If Detroit fans thought he'd fixed his swing and regained his confidence, however, they were sorely mistaken. Torkelson quickly regressed and is back to his old ways at the plate, hitting a lackluster .133/.212/.233 with 17 strikeouts in 33 plate appearances over his last eight games.
Detroit Tigers' Spencer Torkelson is riding that offensive roller coaster again. After a promising return from AAA in August in which he hit .308/.368/.577/.945, his September stats so far are .100/.182/.250/.432.
— Totally Tigers (@totallytigersbb) September 7, 2024
That's how things have gone for the former first overall pick since he debuted in 2022: one step forward, two steps back. His rookie season was a disaster and his second season was good, but his third year has been a trainwreck.
Had Torkelson provided merely league-average production this year, the Tigers would be in much better shape in the playoff race. Instead, his horrendous production at a bat-first position has weighed them down, contributing to the team's offensive woes.
If Torkelson continues to flounder down the stretch, Detroit needs to consider replacing him in the offesason. With its young talent finally coming together under one of the best managers in baseball, the franchise can't afford to squander another season waiting for him to hopefully figure things out at the dish. His inconsistency has been maddening, and betting on him to bounce back in 2025 would be a major gamble.
The Tigers would be better off signing a veteran slugger in free agency this winter rather than rolling the dice on Torkelson again. Nearly all of his stats have gone in the wrong direction this year, including walk rate, strikeout rate, average exit velocity, hard-hit rate and more.
Torkelson still has a few weeks to prove he can handle MLB pitching, but the clock is ticking.
