Former Number One Pick Lands 'Honorable Mention' for Tigers in Power Rankings
With the number one overall pick of the 2020 MLB draft, the Detroit Tigers selected Spencer Torkelson from Arizona State University.
Just under two years later, Torkelson would make his Major League debut on Opening Day of the 2022 season.
In 102 games that year, Torkelson batted only .203/.285/.319 with eight home runs, 28 RBI, and a 74 OPS+ across 404 plate appearances in 110 games.
It was not the best rookie campaign, but it was certainly not the worst, though people expected much more from the young slugger after the Tigers used their number-one pick on him.
It could have been the product of rushing the player to the Majors, an issue that has become more prevalent over the years (looking at you Los Angeles Angels), or the immense amount of pressure that comes with being a number one draft pick and trying to live up to those expectations.
It has still been a struggle for Torkelson to find his footing in the Majors, and after another rough season at the plate, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report placed the slugger just outside of the top 25 in the last first base power rankings of 2024 as an honorable mention.
It was just a year removed from what everyone thought was a breakout campaign for Torkelson, as in 2023 the first baseman batted .233/.313/.446 with 31 home runs, 94 RBI, and a 107 OPS+ across 684 plate appearances in 159 games.
2024 would see Torkelson return closer to his rookie numbers, though not as bad, as he hit .219/.295/.374 with 10 home runs, 37 RBI, and an 89 OPS+.
Defensively, Torkelson did improve this year, tallying a positive one Out Above Average per Baseball Savant, though fielding has been an issue for him leading up to 2024 with -8 Outs Above Average across 2022 and 2023.
It has not been the smoothest run for the youngster from his collegiate career to his time in Major League Baseball, and while the inconsistency at the plate has been a major issue, he could be a prime candidate for a change of scenery.
There is still a lot of tread in Torkelson's tires, as he just turned 25 in August, and it is much too soon to call the player a bust, especially with what he was able to accomplish at the plate in 2023.
The young slugger needs to take a step back, remember that baseball is just a game, and block out all of the noise so that he can focus only on producing at the plate.
