Spencer Torkelson Reveals What Tigers Learned From Last Year’s Late Slide
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The Detroit Tigers looked like one of baseball’s elite teams for much of the 2025 season. At one point, the organization had a commanding lead of 15.5 games in the American League Central standings over the Cleveland Guardians.
The Tigers entered the All-Star Break with the MLB’s best record of 59-38 with an 11.5 game lead. Even after the break, Detroit appeared to be firmly in control of the division.
Unfortunately, the season didn’t finish as smoothly as it started. The late-season slide will be one that fans will remember for a long time. In the end, Detroit had to settle for blowing the biggest lead in MLB history and ended up thankful for a wildcard spot.
While the Tigers still reached the postseason, the collapse served as a reminder of how quickly momentum can shift over the course of the long, 162-game MLB season.
The experience taught the Detroit players a lesson and that has carried over into spring training.
Spencer Torkelson Speaks Out
The Tigers are entering a new season with brand new expectations. Keeping things simple seems to be the first item of business.
As reported by Evan Petzold from the Detroit Free Press, first baseman Spencer Torkelson described how the team is approaching the new campaign.
“We’ve taken every day of spring training pretty seriously,” Torkelson said. “I think that’s what helps us get off to a good start, just being prepared going into the season.”
Looking to carry some fresh momentum into the season, Detroit has focused on keeping a simple mindset in the clubhouse. Preparation and consistency are key.
The Tigers Lean In On Identity
The 2025 season was impressive for the organization before its downfall late into the season. Yet, the players are not focused on last year’s disappointment, but rather on making sure the small details that fueled their success for much of the 2025 year.
“There’s a lot of noise, but this team is really good at focusing on, ‘How can we get better today?’ The small things that made us so good last year, it’s not forgetting those.”
Breaking it down, this is a philosophy that reflects a team that has learned how easily success can slip away. Instead of trying to create big moments, Detroit is focused on repeating routine details to create successful opportunities.
Winning Starts With Fundamentals
Torkelson went on to say, “We’re putting more emphasis on those because those create big moments — not just trying to go out there and create that big moment. Do the little things right, swing at good pitches, throw strikes, make the routine play. It all adds up.”
That seems simple, but sometimes proves to be so hard to do. A team that relies on pitching, disciplined at-bats and a strong defense usually wins. Fundamentals often go unnoticed when the team is winning games, but when things go south, those building blocks are what pull teams out of slumps.
This Team Believes It’s Ready
The Tigers’ clubhouse confidence should be soaring right now. The team made some incredible offseason moves to strengthen important pieces of the roster.
General manager Jeff Greenberg focused heavily on the pitching staff, which was a little surprising as it was one of the team’s biggest strengths last season. Ace Framber Valdez joining the team gives Detroit another frontline arm to pair with their already superstar Tarik Skubal.
This built a pitching staff capable of facing any foe and coming out successful. If that wasn’t enough, the Tigers also addressed the bullpen both during the trade deadline and the offseason.
Adding veteran relievers Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen gives Detroit late-inning options capable of closing important match-ups throughout the season.
If the team is looking to reach the World Series, these moves reinforce the message that the front office believes the time is now and is ready to win.
Torkelson’s words should echo through the clubhouse throughout the season: Do the small things right, every single day.
Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NFL, and WNBA. Laura covers the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com