Detroit Tigers Boss Reveals Why Slugger's Shockingly Hot Start Is for Real
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The Detroit Tigers have picked up where they left off last season, going 7-4 to start the year after Tuesday's 5-0 shutout of the New York Yankees.
While many faces are the same from last year's squad that made the playoffs, one player in particular has dramatically improved his production.
That would be first baseman Spencer Torkelson, who's off to an insanely hot start in 2025 following his disastrous 2024.
After hitting just .219/.295/.374 with 10 home runs, 37 RBI and 0.3 WAR last year, Torkelson looks like a completely different hitter this year.
After launching his fifth double and third homer of the season on Wednesday, he's batting .310/.408/.643 with eight extra-base hits, eight runs and seven RBI through his first 11 games, carrying the offense in the early going.
This is exactly the type of elite production the Tigers envisioned when they took Torkelson with the first overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. Getting it out of him just took a bit longer than expected.
Last year, Detroit thrived in spite of him. This year, they're flourishing because of him.
Prior to Monday's series opener at Comerica Park, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris revealed what adjustments Torkelson made over the winter to revamp his swing.
"This isn't just early, batted ball luck — he's made real tangible changes."
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) April 7, 2025
Tigers President of Baseball Ops. Scott Harris talks about Spencer Torkelson's resurgence, free agent pick ups and more.
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"We're really excited about Tork because he attacked the offseason in a very determined way," Harris told MLB Network's Brian Kenny. "He has performed really well in the early going. He's hitting the ball a lot harder. He's getting to pitches that he wasn't getting to in recent years."
Harris also told Kenny why he thinks Torkelson's improved performance is sustainable and not just early-season, small-sample-size randomness.
"This isn't just early batted ball luck. He made real, tangible changes," said Harris. "He's a little narrower in the box. He's much more athletic, and his swing is allowing him to translate his talent into performance at a much more consistent level."
Torkelson hit 31 homers and 34 doubles with 94 RBI in 2023, so his natural talent has never been in question. The key for him has been finding a way to unlock it and consistently produce at the MLB level.
So far, the 25-year-old's offseason tweaks are paying off and taking his game to the next level. If he keeps it up, he could be a real force in the heart of Detroit's lineup -- not just this season, but for years to come.
