Detroit Tigers should expect Spencer Torkelson’s bat to perform well

Spencer Torkelson was the first overall pick in the 2020 MLB First-Year Amateur Player Draft, where the Detroit Tigers opted to select a centerpiece of their future. When the Tigers selected Torkelson, it was clear that his bat would carry his success.

Two years later, this is still the case, and he’s looking to prove that to Detroit Tigers fans at Comerica Park this season. There have been many hints that Torkelson is going to travel north with the team or be joining them sooner than later in the 2022 season.

Projections from sites like FanGraphs have Torkelson slated to make the club and be the team’s starting first baseman. With this likely the case, there’s something to be said about Torkelson’s abilities and how they will fare in the big leagues.

No one truly knows how things will go for a prospect until they get there. First overall picks struggle, fifth-round picks emerge as studs, some things cannot always be predicted. But that’s the beauty of writing pieces like this; you can predict things all you want, especially when you can back it up.

Detroit Tigers prospect Spencer Torkelson’s bat is going to play well.

Torkelson’s swing is fun to watch; he’s got incredible bat-to-ball skills and a hefty amount of pop in his bat. Many believed he had one of the best hit-tool and power-tool sets in the draft, obviously helping make a case for him to go round one, pick one.

Looking at his performance this Spring, he’s hit the ball incredibly hard. He’s putting good swings on the ball, finding ways to barrel it up, and even when he’s not barreling it up, he’s been able to hit the ball hard. Here’s a double of Torkelson’s from this Spring that he murdered for a 102.4  mph exit velocity.

While Torkelson is yet to make his debut, there’s a lot of speculation that his adjustment to the big leagues will be swift and smooth. His bat is going to play at the big league level. He will produce hard contact and barrel the ball up, hitting in Comerica Park in the cold Spring; expect a lot of doubles from the right-handed bat as he finds his groove in the big leagues.

Like any prospect who bursts into the league, he will likely look like he’s going to win the Most Valuable Player award for a few weeks or a month until other teams exploit his weaknesses. The difference with Torkelson is that I think he will be able to adjust quickly, and his bat will be able to make up for this.

His ability to showcase the hit tool and the power tool will translate well to the big league level. Tigers fans should be extremely excited to watch Torkelson show his stuff in the big leagues when that time finally comes.