Former Detroit Tigers Top Prospect Has Found Groove Since August Call-Up
With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB amateur draft, the Detroit Tigers selected first baseman Spencer Torkelson out of Arizona State.
A Casa Grande High School product from Petaluma, California, the Tigers had hopes that they had just landed their next big star. With Miguel Cabrera nearing the end of his career, the franchise needed a new middle-of-the-order bat to rely on.
It took almost no time for Torkelson to make the Major Leagues, as he debuted on April 8th, 2022. Unfortunately, his production has yet to translate at the highest level.
Through 1,227 career at-bats entering play on September 1st, the former top prospect has managed to produce a slash line of only .222/.298/.395, recording a -0.3 WAR. He was struggling mightily out of the gate in 2024, which resulted in a demotion to Triple-A Toledo.
Through 54 games and 230 plate appearances, Torkelson registered an underwhelming slash line of .201/.266/.330 with below-average advanced stats across the board.
He spent 58 games in the Minor Leagues before getting re-called in mid-August. That time down on the farm must have done him some good, as he is starting to look like the top prospect Detroit thought they were getting.
Torkelson played in 14 games in August, with 57 plate appearances. He was excellent, as he looks to have finally figured things out.
The Arizona State product has nearly matched his home run total from the first 54 games of the season, when he had four, as he launched three in August. He also had three doubles and one triple, showcasing the power that made him such a highly-touted prospect.
Overall, he has provided the team with a .308/368/.577 slash line. Those numbers are only going up as he carried over his hot August into September.
In a pivotal game against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon, it was Torkelson who helped power the Tigers to a huge 4-1 win. He launched a go-ahead, 2-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, his eighth of the season.
Torked up 💣 pic.twitter.com/UAWhsl5CcG
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 1, 2024
Torkelson, even when he was struggling earlier in the season, was key to Detroit winning games. In the 35 games he played that the team won prior to Sunday, he had a slash line of .271/.322/.433. For the 33 losses he played in, Torkelson produced a ghastly .165/.246/.306 slash line.
If he can keep his hot streak going, there is no telling the heights that this team can reach for the remainder of the 2024 campaign.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.