The Detroit Tigers optioned first baseman Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo on Sunday. Justyn-Henry Malloy will be promoted to the big league roster in a corresponding move. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft was hitting .201/.226/.330 with four homers and 18 RBI over 209 at-bats. Torkelson's .597 OPS ranked 149th among qualified players and struck out in 11 of his last 21 at-bats. The 24-year-old still has time to live up to his potential, but Sunday's demotion plummets what little fantasy value Torkelson had. He's safe to drop in redraft leagues and buy low in dynasty formats.
Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson is not in the team's starting lineup on Saturday versus the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. Mark Canha will get the start at first base for Detroit and will bat third in the lineup against Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios. Torkelson is due for a day off after going hitless in 16 at-bats in his last five games to drop his season line to .207/.279/.330. The former first overall pick in 2020 out of Arizona State also has homered just three times in 188 at-bats so far this year while driving in 17 and scoring 21 runs for the Tigers. In the month of May, he's gone 15-for-77 (.195) with all three of his homers, six RBI and 18 strikeouts in 84 plate appearances over 21 games. Canha does have a solo homer in seven career at-bats against Berrios and could be a DFS sleeper despite his .226 average (37-for-164) in 2024.
Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson swatted his first home run of the season on Mother's Day and followed up with his second dinger in Monday's 6-5 win over the Miami Marlins. Despite the Tiger's winning record, it's been a tough go for the 24-year-old first basemen this season, sporting a .225 batting average with only two home runs and 16 RBI. With a career batting average of .222, don't expect too much improvement in that department during the season, but after slugging 31 homers in 2023, one can only hope the last two days mean he finally found his power stroke and can keep it up moving forward. Torkelson has a great outlook over the next two days, with southpaws Ryan Weathers (4.54 ERA) and Trevor Rogers (6.57 ERA) toeing the rubber.
Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson is getting his first day off of the season on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Torkelson made it 23 games before getting his first day of rest in 2024, and he's currently hitting .231/.311/.319 with a league-leading eight doubles, no home runs, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored in 104 plate appearances. Mark Canha is getting the start at first base and will hit third for the Tigers, while Riley Greene is the designated hitter and batting leadoff against Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot. It's pretty concerning that Torkelson, the former first overall pick in 2020 out of Arizona State, has yet to clear the bases so far this year. Neither Canha nor Greene have faced Pepiot in their careers.
Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson went 0-for-2 with a walk in Thursday's Grapefruit League action against the New York Yankees. The former first overall pick is now hitting a putrid .115 with three RBI and a run scored over his first 26 at-bats. The 24-year-old has had an up-and-down career thus far, but he finished strong in 2023 and provided plenty of power with 31 homers and 94 RBI to go along with a .233 batting average. Torkelson has been a popular sleeper this offseason with the expectation that he take another step forward in 2024, but with an ADP of 118, managers should continue to keep an eye on the slugger before making a big commitment that could go either way. Regardless, even if he struggles in the batting average department, the power should be able to help managers.
Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson played in more games (159) than any player on the team in 2023 and hit .233/.313/.446 with 31 home runs, 34 doubles, one triple, 94 RBI and 88 runs scored in his second major-league season. In early May, he was hitting .198 with only two home runs. He was worth only 1.4 fWAR at first base and his on-base percentage was only .313. Torkelson's minus-11 defensive runs saved was the worst total from any MLB first baseman since Miguel Cabrera and Chris Davis in 2017. The former first overall pick in 2020 has stuff he can work on, mainly his defense and getting on base more, but 2023 was a vast improvement over his rookie campaign. Torkelson could take another step forward in 2024 and already has elite raw power from the right side. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 11 fantasy first baseman.
Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson delivered on Sunday afternoon, going 2-for-4 with a double while driving in two crucial runs to lead the Tigers to a 2-0 victory over the Athletics in Oakland. With the bases loaded in the third inning, Torkelson broke the scoreless tie with a well-placed two-run single to right field. The 24-year-old power hitter started the game strong with a double in the first inning. As the season approaches its final week, Torkelson carries a solid .232/.312/.441 slash line along with 29 dingers, 88 RBI, and three stolen bases.
Spencer Torkelson Blasts Two Two-Run Homers Thursday
Spencer Torkelson, the first baseman for the Detroit Tigers, hit two two-run home runs to lead his team to a 10-3 victory over the Yankees on Thursday. Torkelson also walked once and struck out in the game. The 24-year-old right-handed hitter has been on a hot streak, hitting three home runs and driving in seven runs in the last seven games. Despite striking out 145 times in 2023, he has cracked 27 home runs and recorded 76 RBI in his second season as a big leaguer.
Spencer Torkelson Surging, Goes Yard Again In Loss
Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, and three runs scored in Monday's 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The 23-year-old was on the front end of back-to-back homers with the red-hot Kerry Carpenter in the sixth inning to get the Tigers in the scoring column. Speaking of red-hot, Torkelson, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, is finally beginning to look the part recently. Over his last 12 games since Aug. 9, Torkelson is batting a torrid .395 (17-for-43) with eight round-trippers, four doubles, 10 RBI, and one stolen base during this period. It's about time to add the hard-hitting infielder in all fantasy leagues wherever Torkelson remains available.
Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson went 2-for-3 with two walks, two home runs, and four RBI in Thursday's 8-5 win over the Texas Rangers. He took Cody Bradford deep in the fifth inning and later bashed his second homer off John King during the eighth inning in Thursday's win. The 23-year-old had his first-multi-homer game of the season and racked up a career four RBI on Thursday. He is slashing .223/.304/.392 with 11 home runs, 39 RBI, 36 runs, and two stolen bases over 78 games in 2023. Torkelson has homered in two of his last three games, and fantasy managers should continue to roll with the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft while he's wielding a hot bat.
