After a relatively underwhelming rookie season with the Detroit Tigers, ASU alumnus Spencer Torkelson is now hitting his stride in the major leagues.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Over his last seven games, Torkelson has blasted an impressive six home runs, placing him at the top of the majors during this stretch. Thanks to this performance, the 23-year-old has elevated his total home run count for the year to 21, a nearly threefold increase compared to his rookie season.
These 21 home runs lead all current American League first basemen and have been a massive boost for the Tigers’ offense.
While the Tigers are still in the playoff race, their chances appear to be a long shot, given their eight-game deficit behind the Twins.
However, there’s a silver lining as things are decidedly moving in the right direction in Detroit. With three rookies excelling as of late, the Tigers are inching closer to achieving their first winning season since 2016.
Through 14 games in the month of August:
Riley Greene: .956 OPS, 3 HRs
Spencer Torkelson: .955 OPS, 6 HRs
Kerry Carpenter: 1.215 OPS, 5 HRsthe young hitting core is finally showing signs of promise pic.twitter.com/ab9vlfiWVj
— sarge (@sarge__msu) August 17, 2023
And if Torkelson’s years at Arizona State University are any indication of how he will turn out in the MLB, then the Tigers are in great hands.
After leading the Pac-12 in home runs during both his freshman and sophomore seasons, Spencer concluded his collegiate career on a high note.
During the abbreviated 17-game COVID season, Torkelson showcased his power with six home runs and 17 hits in his junior year. This impressive surge to wrap up his time as a Sun Devil made him the fourth ASU player to be selected number one overall in the MLB draft, and the first since 1978.
