Should the Tigers Bring Back Spencer Torkelson in 2027?

When the Detroit Tigers selected Spencer Torkelson first overall in the 2020 draft, his name was tied to brighter days. After selecting Casey Mize with the first pick in 2018 and Riley Greene fifth in 2019, the trio was viewed as the group to pull the Tigers out of the bottom of the league and back into contention.

On one hand, they have. Back-to-back trips to the postseason might not seem like much of a feat to some, but considering the Tigers’ recent history, it’s huge. Then 2026 happened.

Injuries and underperformance put the Tigers behind the 8-ball early, and climbing out was a task too tall. Mize was traded at the trade deadline, peeling off one piece of the initial group of saviors. Detroit has seen a change in general manager since Torkelson was drafted and a movement toward a younger crop of players who will soon define the core.

While Riley Greene has certainly earned his spot moving forward, the same cannot be said about Spencer Torkelson.

Stats were taken prior to play on September 8.

The Complicated Player With Defined Struggles

Ask Tigers fans what they think of Spencer Torkelson and you will get split responses. Mostly because the question leads to a complicated answer. What Spencer Torkelson is as a player is rather straightforward. He’s a power bat that strikes out a lot and gets mixed reviews defensively.

In 2022, Torkelson’s rookie season, his struggles were obvious and a trip back to the minors was necessary. No big deal, a 22-year-old finding his way is not something out of the ordinary. He returned in 2023, launching 31 home runs while posting a .233/.313/.446 slash, showing plenty of promise for the future.

His 2024 season was a major step backward. He spent a good chunk of time back in the minors after his streaky ways and strikeouts piled up to the point where the Tigers needed him to reset. Only 10 home runs across 92 games was nowhere near where he needed to be.

The following season, 2025, was a career-best 117 wRC+ paired with 31 home runs, a .240/.333/.456 slash, and more promise for Torkelson finding his way. Well, the 2026 season has shown the peaks and valleys aren’t going away while the power has also taken a step back.

Through 141 games, Torkelson is slashing .220/.311/.408 with a 102 wRC+ and 22 home runs. His 31.4% strikeout rate is the highest of his career, and the issue is obvious: swinging through strikes and struggling against non-fastballs.

Obviously, most hitters are going to struggle with pitches down and away. That area of the zone usually houses breaking balls moving away from your bat and serves as an area where pitchers can avoid damage. For Spencer Torkelson, that area has essentially made him ineffective.

Via Baseball Savant

The graphic above shows Torkelson’s numbers, from a catcher’s perspective, for each area of the zone. He’s seen a total of 508 pitches low and away, more than double the amount of any other area of the zone. A 78% whiff rate with five hits on 125 swings. Creep into the bottom outside corner of the zone and the numbers are still rough, with a 30% whiff rate and .188 average.

Pitchers have been able to feed Torkelson breaking balls due to his 42% whiff rate and .188 batting average against them. How about lefties? They can lean on off-speed pitches because he’s only hitting .136 with a 46% whiff rate, not to mention he only has a .727 OPS off southpaws this season.

You might look at a 102 wRC+ (league average = 100) and say, “Well, he’s fine and at least brings power!” What is important to remember is that first base needs to be a position that is held to a higher standard for offensive production. His 102 wRC+ ranks 22nd out of 25 qualified first basemen. If you expand the search to include qualified first basemen from 2022-now, Torkelson’s career, his 101 wRC+ ranks 39th.

In that same range, Torkelson’s fWAR ranks 35th, sandwiched between Anthony Rizzo and Wilmer Flores, two players who have retired and are no longer collecting fWAR totals.

I could go on with different statistics and measurements, which you may or may not value, but I think you get the picture. Torkelson has not been nearly consistent or good enough to be considered the definite starter going forward. First base needs a higher impact than what Torkelson has brought, and so do the Tigers.

At this point in his career, he is what he is. And what he is differs from what the Tigers need. Keeping him as a short-side platoon option doesn’t make much sense when you consider the options currently on the roster and project those options into the future. Although, a short-side platoon, little defensive value player is something the Tigers have kept before with Jahmai Jones.

When it’s all said and done, I think Torkelson is playing somewhere else next year. But how will the Tigers replace him?

Replacing Spencer Torkelson

Luckily, first base is a position that is easier to find than many other positions. Heck, the Tigers already have options currently on their roster and within their organization. The first being Colt Keith, who is quickly turning into a square peg in a round hole.

Keith has played first at times, but would need a lot more reps during the offseason to improve defensively. Considering Keith is already extended, he’s going to have to play somewhere. The issue is his offensive profile doesn’t fit first base. You might be looking at a similar issue as Torkelson, only with less power.

Another option would be allowing Eduardo Valencia to fill the position. The rookie has seen limited playing time this season but has shown some pop and enough of an offensive profile to think he could be an answer. Although, a free swinger with a high chase rate and strikeout rate usually is not someone you would want to hand the job over to without a backup plan.

The best-case scenario would be Josue Briceño or Thayron Liranzo (on the 40-man) being an immediate answer. Liranzo’s profile is similar to that of Torkelson’s, and Briceño comes with much more upside. However, Briceño has dealt with injuries, limiting him to only 42 games this season, and he’s off to a slow start in Triple-A. I do think he will be the eventual answer at first, but not the immediate one.

An outside-the-box idea would be shifting Riley Greene or Kerry Carpenter to first. Greene has taken a step back defensively, and Carpenter has always been a liability in the field. Both have the offensive upside and impact to profile as a first baseman, and the outfield is starting to get a little more crowded. I’d prefer Greene, as Carpenter’s injury history and up-and-down play make the discussion around him a topic for another day.

Lastly, Detroit could look outside of the organization, either via trade or free agency. Yandy Diaz would be a great fit in Detroit, but there will be a number of organizations fighting for his services. I do think the Tigers have enough intriguing players to pull off a trade if something becomes available.

What the Tigers have are options. Different avenues that can be pieced together to find a solution that does not include giving Spencer Torkelson a raise in arbitration, only to cross your fingers that something changes in Year 6.

Final Thoughts

The organization is making a shift toward a new core. Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark, Troy Melton, Dillon Dingler, and others will soon be the names you think of when you hear Detroit Tigers. A number of rookies have been added to the 40-man roster throughout the season and given an opportunity to show they should be part of the future.

As the 40-man roster gets more crowded, tough decisions will have to happen. We all have moments we’ll remember because of Torkelson. He’s not a flat-out bad baseball player. But he is upgradable. If the Tigers truly want to be an organization with World Series aspirations, they will need to find an upgrade at first base.