Arizona State's Spencer Torkelson Selected First Overall in the 2020 MLB Draft
It is official, Spencer Torkelson defined the odds and changed the, “first basemen are never selected first overall in the MLB Draft” debate. He officially was selected first over all by the Detroit Tigers, but as a third baseman. This makes him the first ASU player since 1978 when Bob Horner was taken first overall by the Atlanta Braves. This marks two years in a row that ASU baseball and ASU football have had back to back first round draft picks. Last year, in the 2019 MLB Draft, ASU outfielder, Hunter Bishop was taken in the first round by the San Francisco Giants and now Torkelson. For football it was N’Keal Harry taken in the first round by the Patriots and then Brandon Aiyuk this year by the 49ers. Arizona State is quickly becoming the place to be to catapult athletes toward their professional athletic career post college.
The tigers are getting an elite bat in Torkelson. Over the past few years, the Tigers have stocked up on arms and their rotation leaving the offense to fend for itself. Well, now, they have their first piece to the puzzle with the power hitting first baseman.
Like I mentioned earlier this week after speaking to an AL scout he said this about Torkelson,
“When it comes to the bat, Spencer is the real deal. He’s a man amongst boys in this draft. Between his bat speed, power and eye for the strike zone, he’s got a very successful professional career ahead. It’s a nice compact swing with a lot of juice. When he squares it up, which he does regularly, it towers. It’s that special sound off the bat we always talk about. Very nice plate discipline too. He doesn’t chase. He really makes pitchers come to him, which is just as impressive to me as the power.”
According to ASU Baseball, Torkelson was quoted as saying this after he wasn’t drafted out of high school, “ It was tough on me. It hurt, but it lit a fire inside of me. I said Im not going to feel this again. Come junior year at ASU, I’m going to be a first rounder. I told myself that.”
Well, congratulations, not only drafted, but drafted first overall.