We are just a couple of years removed from Spencer Torkelson being one of the top prospects in baseball.
The Detroit Tigers’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Torkelson has had a hard time this season and the organization has made a rather surprising decision.
They are sending him back down to Triple-A Toledo, presumably to work on some things with his game, per Talkin’ Baseball.
The Tigers have optioned Spencer Torkelson pic.twitter.com/YUMaX1pjEO
Torkelson struggled as a rookie in 2022, but made some strides last year en route to hitting 31 home runs and finishing with a decent .758 OPS.
But 2024 has seen him revert to old, bad habits and he is slashing a poor .201/.266/.330 with a paltry .597 OPS.
He wasn’t even hitting for power, with just four round-trippers in 54 games so far this year.
The Tigers had no choice but to send him down to work on his swing and approach.
Hitting MLB pitching is much harder than college or the minor leagues.
Torkelson is widely recognized as one of the best college hitters in recent history, but he is yet to establish himself at the top level.
The Tigers have been patient to this point, but maybe Torkelson needs a full reset.
At 29-30, they are fourth in the increasingly competitive AL Central and need every productive hitter they can get in their lineup.
Torkelson, at least his 2024 version, is not an MLB-caliber hitter.
He has some work to do, but if the Tigers show patience and can get creative in looking for ways to improve his game, he still carries significant potential for the 2024 campaign and beyond.