Former MLB Executive Sees Hope in Detroit Tigers' Previous First Overall Picks
In the midst of a lengthy streak of futility, the Detroit Tigers got the chance to spark their rebuild by landing the first overall picks in the 2018 and 2020 MLB drafts.
In those two years, they chose right-handed pitcher Casey Mize out of Auburn University and first baseman Spencer Torkelson out of Arizona State.
Four years later in 2024, they returned to the MLB postseason and made a splash, upending the Houston Astros in the Wild Card round and putting a scare into the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS.
But while the team stunned the baseball world with its turnaround and return to relevance, Mize and Torkelson had very little to do with the Tigers' success.
Mize helped, making 20 starts that resulted in a respectable 4.49 ERA, but he was by no means a major difference-maker. Torkelson played 92 games, but spent much of the season with Triple-A Toledo while posting a pedestrian .669 OPS in Detroit.
Despite the duo of past No. 1 overall picks not factoring into the Tigers' return to the playoffs last year, they can still lead the charge as the team takes the next step toward legitimate World Series contention.
And that's exactly what they're doing.
Writing in The Athletic (subscription required), former MLB executive Jim Bowden listed Mize and Torkelson among a group of seven former top picks showing signs of breaking out in 2025.
"His control and command have been differentiators," he wrote of Mize. "His composure is back. He’s 2-0 with a 0.77 ERA in two starts. He has the potential to be a game-changer for the Tigers, increasing their chances of winning the AL Central if he can keep this up."
"Torkelson’s 2024 performance was so bad that in the offseason, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris announced Colt Keith would be moved to first base and Torkelson would have to make the team either as a DH or a backup," he added about the first baseman. "Talk about a wake-up call."
Torkelson certainly took that wake-up call to heart.
This year, he has slashed .314/.419/.647. He's hit four homers, already nearly halfway to his 2025 total of 10.
He won't stay this hot all season most likely, but the fact that his on-base percentage is so high means he's earning his way onto the basepaths with walks and not simply relying on positive batted-ball luck.
Torkelson has translated a hot spring to the season, and so has Mize, though Mize's growth is a bit less of a surprise.
The righty re-worked his arsenal and showcased a crucial gain in velocity this spring that would virtually guarantee better results if it stuck.
According to Baseball Savant data, his whiff rate and hard-hit allowed rate are both well above average, and he's looking more and more like a reliably above-average starter to slot behind reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
Recommended Articles
feed
Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.