Watch: Detroit Tigers Struggling Slugger Announces Arrival With Home Run

The Detroit Tigers may have seen the return to form of their former top prospect during their season opener on Thursday.

Mar 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Detroit Tigers first base Spencer Torkelson (20) scores a run after a wild pitch by Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (7) during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers are taking on the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Opening Day.

With the first game of the season, you can never know what kind of surprises are going to be seen, and the Tigers got an extremely pleasant one in the top of the seventh inning while trailing 4-2.

After a turbulent 2024 season, former No. 1 pick and top prospect Spencer Torkelson was a question mark to even make the roster. He responded with a huge spring and not only made the team, but was featured as the designated hitter batting cleanup in the Thursday lineup.

Torklelson blasted a home run to left field to pull Detroit within a run:

Spencer Torkelson gets a run back for the @Tigers! #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/DhxsDabZYL

— MLB (@MLB) March 28, 2025

Perhaps even more encouraging than the home run is how the first three at-bats before Torkelson went deep occurred.

After struggling with chasing bad pitches which was a huge part of his downfall throughout the entire 2024 season, Torkelson began 2025 with three consecutive walks, something he was making a habit of throughout the spring.

During camp, Torkelson slashed .340/.389/.680 with five home runs and 11 RBI through 19 games and 50 at-bats, demonstrating to the team first hand that the changes he made throughout the offseason had paid off and he was a new player.

Carrying that momentum right into the regular season, Torkelson has gone from potential cut candidate to someone who looks like he is going to be a critical piece of the offense.

Tigers fans just may have to re-buy their stock in Torkelson now.