Spencer Torkelson’s power has never really been the question. The problem for the Tigers is everything around it.
Detroit took Torkelson with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft expecting a middle-of-the-order bat, the kind of hitter who could change an inning when the lineup put men on base in front of him. He has delivered the home run totals that made that profile so appealing.
In his two complete MLB seasons, 2023 and 2025, he hit 31 homers each year. But the rest of the package has left Tigers fans grinding their teeth.
The frustration starts with the situations that matter most. Torkelson’s production with runners in scoring position has been the constant issue, and the numbers are ugly.
This season, he has 43 RBI despite 16 home runs. In 2025, he drove in 78 runs even while hitting those 31 homers.
For a player slotted where he is in the order, that’s a hard sell.
The split data only sharpens the complaint. With the bases loaded, Torkelson is hitting .081.
With runners on second and third, he’s at .091. There is one bright spot: he’s hitting .311 with runners on the corners.
But that only underscores the bigger problem – the results swing wildly depending on the setup, and there doesn’t seem to be an easy fix.
That unpredictability is what makes him so maddening. Torkelson is on pace for close to 30 home runs again this season, but his batting average is barely above the Mendoza line.
He’s a solid enough first baseman, though not Gold Glove caliber, and that keeps him in the lineup. The power is real.
The consistency isn’t.
What makes it worse for Detroit is that the Tigers can’t simply move on from him. He’s productive enough to justify the role, even if most of the damage comes with the bases empty. That leaves AJ Hinch stuck with a hitter who was supposed to be a run-producer but too often isn’t.
The issue doesn’t stop in the regular season, either. Torkelson has just a .597 OPS in 15 playoff games. So not only has he struggled to cash in runners during the year, he’s also been a guaranteed out in October.
That’s the bind for the Tigers: the power is too useful to ignore, but the production hasn’t matched the billing. And for a player drafted to anchor a lineup, that gap is exactly why the frustration keeps growing.
In Other News…
Kenley Jansens Tigers Role Suddenly Feels Far Less Certain
Keider Monteros rise has quietly changed the shape of the Tigers bullpen, and it has done more than just give AJ Hinch another useful arm. With Montero handling longer relief outings, Detroit has been able to ease the burden on its veteran late-inning group, including Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen, while Hinch keeps sorting out who fits where as the rotation and schedule keep shifting. Jansen and Hinch have already talked through those changing responsibilities, a reminder that the Tigers signed the veteran expecting some flexibility.
For Jansen, the adjustment has been more noticeable than ideal. He has been used far less often since mid-June, and he has been working to find a rhythm after his injured-list stint, even as the bullpen picture keeps moving around him. The next wrinkle may come soon enough, with Detroit expected to keep reworking roles as it navigates a busier stretch and potentially asks Montero to take on even more.
Justin Verlander Faces A Tigers Legacy Debate Fans Won’t Ignore
Justin Verlanders career is already in the kind of territory that invites legacy debates, and the next chapter only adds to it. The longtime ace plans to retire after the 2026 season, which means the Hall of Fame conversation is no longer some distant exercise. For Tigers fans, its impossible not to look at the arc of a pitcher who spent 14 seasons in Detroit, built his reputation there, and then added another defining stretch in Houston.
Verlanders resume gives both franchises a real claim to his story, with major awards and big October moments on each side of the ledger. But the emotional pull is different in Detroit, where he became a franchise centerpiece, and in Houston, where he added two World Series titles. The question hanging over the rest of his career is which version of that legacy will matter most when the time comes to make it official.
Skubal And Torkelson Deliver The Tigers Rout Fans Have Been Waiting For
Tarik Skubal gave the Tigers exactly the kind of front-end dominance they have been chasing, carving through the Angels for seven scoreless innings in a 7-0 win and backing up the kind of buzz that has followed Detroit all summer. Spencer Torkelson supplied the thunder, launching two home runs as the offense kept pressure on early and never let up, another sign that this group is starting to look more complete as it keeps stacking wins.
Since June 1, Detroit has won 24 of 38 games, a stretch that has moved the club from promising to genuinely dangerous. The Tigers now get a chance to finish off the sweep Sunday with Casey Mize on the mound, and after a night like this, the bigger question is whether the rotation and the lineup can keep feeding off each other the way they did here.
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