Jack’s Take: Detroit Tigers’ No. 1 Pick Starting To Put It All Together

After being sent down to the minor leagues last season, Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson has posted impressive numbers nine games into the 2025 season.

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) celebrates with his teammates after hitting a walk-off double against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

It was too early to label him a bust. But when the Detroit Tigers sent Spencer Torkelson down to the minor leagues in June of 2024, it was fair to wonder whether he’d ever live up to his billing as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft.

At the time, Torkelson had a .201 batting average and a .597 OPS with just four home runs, along with a 24.4% strikeout rate and a 7% walk rate through 54 games. He went hitless in nine of 10 games prior to his demotion and struck out in eight of his last 12 plate appearances.

He spent 58 games with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, reviving his power with 11 home runs but still striking out in 30.9% of his plate appearances. The Tigers called Torkelson back up in mid-August, and he finished with underwhelming season-long numbers – 10 home runs and a .669 OPS in 92 MLB games – despite a slight uptick down the stretch.

That set up a crucial 2025 season for Torkelson, who proved he had power with 31 home runs in 2023 but didn’t hit for average, was far too strikeout-prone and below average defensively. 

“I’m not naïve to this business, this situation,” Torkelson said during spring training, per MLB.com. “I haven’t shown that I can play consistent, and there’s people that have decisions to make, important decisions. I haven’t given them a real solid belief to trust me to this point.”

Motivated to get his career back on track, Torkelson had a strong spring training, and he’s carried that momentum into the regular season. 

The Tigers trailed the White Sox 3-1 going into the ninth inning, looking to complete the series sweep. Javier Báez started the rally with a leadoff single, and the White Sox walked three of the next four batters to bring in a run.

Torkelson stepped to the plate with one out and the bases loaded against right-hander Jordan Leasure. After taking a low slider for a ball, Torkelson turned on an inside fastball and drove it 101.9 miles per hour off his bat down the left field line. That drove in two runs, giving Torkelson a walk-off double and the Tigers a 4-3 win. 

“We feel like we’re never out of it,” Torkelson said during the postgame television interview as teammates dumped the Gatorade cooler over his back. 

Gritty Tigs!!! Spencer Torkelson walks it off for the @tigers !! Baseball is fun. #RepDetroit pic.twitter.com/Fr6ZtjGkKB

— Daniella Bruce (@daniellabruce_) April 6, 2025

That statement spoke to the Tigers’ comeback win on Sunday, and perhaps in the bigger picture, the state of Torkelson’s career. He lost his spot on the big-league roster last season, but now he’s tearing pitchers apart.

Through nine games and 41 plate appearances, Torkelson has two home runs, four doubles, six RBI and at least one hit in eight games. His .324 batting average, .439 on-base percentage, .618 slugging percentage and 1.057 OPS would all be career-high numbers by a wide margin. His 0.4 WAR already surpasses his 2022 and 2024 marks.

He’s still striking out a ton – his 31.7% strikeout rate would be a career high – but that’s offset a bit by career-best numbers in walk rate, hard hit rate and line drive percentage, along with a career-low ground ball percentage. 

Comeback complete!

The @Tigers score 3 in the 9th as Spencer Torkelson delivers the walk-off RBI. pic.twitter.com/e0WPyiWCno

— MLB (@MLB) April 6, 2025

Consistency was Torkelson’s issue in previous seasons, and there’s still a long way to go in 2025 to prove he can avoid slumps. But still just 25 years old, the early stages of his career may serve as a lesson on patience.

Garrett Crochet is the only first-round pick from the 2020 MLB Draft to become an All-Star so far. Ten of the 29 first-round picks haven’t reached the big leagues yet, and many who’ve made their MLB debuts have made little to no impact yet.

Expectations will always be high for No. 1 picks, as they should be, but Torkelson is showing that sometimes it’s worth the wait.

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