DETROIT — Must have been a good feeling for Spencer Torkelson when his second-inning line drive left the bat at 105.3 mph and landed in the right-field gap.
That’s the hitter he yearns to be, the hitter he has been when he’s at his best. Saturday in his first game back up from Triple A, fans cheered and welcomed Torkelson back with open arms. In his first at-bat, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2020 draft was on time for a 95.6 mph Carlos Rodon fastball and showed one more glimpse of promise.
Torkelson finished his return to the majors 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and a walk. For the first time in a while at the major-league level, he held his head high after a game.
“That’s everything that I’ve done my entire life hitting,” Torkelson said. “That’s what I was born to do, is use that right-center gap, and if the timing is right I’ll use the left-center gap.”
Torkelson was recalled Saturday morning in place of Bligh Madris, a 28-year-old baseball journeyman who has already endured five DFAs in his career. Madris hit .269 with a 91 OPS+ in his short stint as the Tigers first baseman. His production was nothing to clamor about but was solid enough for a lineup that lacks potency.
Torkelson hit just .201 over 54 games in the majors earlier this season before the Tigers finally decided to send him down. Over the next two months with the Toledo Mud Hens, Torkelson adjusted his bat angle, showed improvements against high-end velocity and also endured his share of struggles. He homered 11 times and had a .799 OPS.
🧵A few observations. Here’s Spencer Torkelson’s swing from today and back on May 26. His timing through the strikezone is different.
It appears that his hand is dropping more in the zone/ shoulder is staying closed longer. The bat angle is far more even, not at an angle 1/2 pic.twitter.com/Frd8P3TXHP
— Rogelio Castillo (@rogcastbaseball) August 4, 2024
Because Torkelson is Torkelson and Madris is Madris, the Tigers made the move before Saturday’s game against the Yankees. They need another look at Torkelson in the majors. They need more clarity on how the adjustments he made — ones he still attributes more to his mental approach — may or may not translate.
Torkelson is supposed to be part of the franchise’s future, and the Tigers need to make an informed decision this offseason regarding what to do about Torkelson and their first-base situation.
A strong finish could ease concerns and help Torkelson reclaim his spot once and for all. A poor final few weeks could lead the Tigers to seek outside help and cast Torkelson’s future into serious question. There is still much at stake here.
But Saturday morning when Torkelson walked past a herd of reporters and posted up at his locker, he flashed the biggest smile. He looked relaxed and refreshed and grateful to be back in the major leagues. He admitted he entered the season trying to do too much at the plate, and things deteriorated from there.
“As I don’t want to admit it, I definitely was,” Torkelson said. “In this game if you’re at the plate trying to produce and trying to slug, that’s not the key to success. The key to success is just a solid, consistent approach, being a hitter first and trusting my natural swing and my natural power to come through off the bat.”
Throughout Torkelson’s stay in Toledo, it was difficult to know what to make of his performance from the outside. This is a modern conundrum for teams evaluating hitters in Triple A. Torkelson had his hot streaks, hit the ball in the air, posted encouraging exit velocities and accessed his power. He also struck out at a worrisome 39.0 percent clip.
Against fastballs thrown 93 mph or higher, he hit a solid .268 with an impressive average exit velocity of 94.9 mph.
In turn, he hit only .194 with a woeful 44.7 percent whiff rate against breaking balls. He was 2-for-19 in the five games before his promotion.
“He’s had a long time down in Triple A to recollect himself,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Some of the things came pretty quickly. Others he needed some time to make those adjustments. His calling card is hitting the ball hard, hitting the ball in the air. Those things I think he did in bunches throughout his time in Triple A.”
Torkelson also worked with Tigers field coordinator Billy Boyer on his first-base defense while down in the minor leagues. Torkelson was worth minus-11 defensive runs saved last season and was at minus-5 before his demotion this season.
Refreshed as he may be, Torkelson has much to prove from now until the end of the year. Despite 1,318 career MLB plate appearances with a below-average OPS+ of 90, Torkelson gets this chance because of where he was drafted, because he showed his potential with 31 home runs last season, because of the promise he still represents. He reclaimed his old locker next to Riley Greene in the Tigers clubhouse, one of two twin pillars who was supposed to drive this franchise forward.
In Saturday’s return, both of his extra-base hits went to the opposite field gap. The double came off a 95.6 mph fastball, the triple off a 91.6 mph sinker.
“He doesn’t have to carry the franchise,” Hinch said. “He doesn’t have to be anything other than his best, and that’s hard when so much responsibility is bestowed upon him. I understand the natural instinct to put all the pressure on yourself and put all that responsibility on yourself. That comes with the territory when you’re drafted high and you’re featured throughout your minor-league career. … Hopefully he’s learned and others will learn from him that you got to try to block all that out and just play the game.”
Before the cameras departed Saturday morning, Torkelson admitted this promotion feels a small bit like debuting all over again.
His next and perhaps most crucial chapter in the major leagues begins now.
“There’s definitely some good nerves in there,” Torkelson said. “But gosh, I’ve missed this place. I’ve missed these guys. I belong here. So it’s good to be back.”
(Photo: David Reginek / USA Today)
