Tigers prospect Spencer Torkelson will make the team's active roster to start the 2022 season, general manager Al Avila announced on Saturday. The expectation is that Torkelson at the outset will be Detroit's primary first baseman:
Torkelson projects as a middle-of-the-order hitter and possible future All-Star. Here's what our R.J. Anderson wrote about him in ranking Torkelson as the No. 8 overall prospect in baseball for 2022:
Torkelson, the No. 1 pick in 2020, soared all the way to Triple-A in his first professional season. Overall, he performed as you would expect someone with cleanup-hitter aspirations to: batting .267/.383/.552 with 30 home runs and a 14.5 percent walk rate. He's often been compared to Andrew Vaughn of the White Sox because of their similar profiles: each has big raw strength and a feel for hitting, as well as the intelligence to make adjustments as needed. (Vaughn, for his part, had a disappointing rookie campaign in 2021.) The Tigers announced Torkelson as a third baseman on draft day, and they've continued to crosstrain him at both corner-infield positions. Scouts still expect him to end up at first base, however. With the Tigers gearing up to compete in 2022, odds are Torkelson will debut early in the season.
As well, credit to the Tigers for resisting the temptation to manipulate Torkelson's service time by keeping him in the minors to start the season when he's clearly ready for the highest level.
The Tigers had also been poised to add another top prospect, outfielder Riley Greene, to the Opening Day roster, but Greene on Friday suffered a fractured foot that will sideline him for some time. At least, though, Tigers fans will be able to get a glimpse of Torkelson when the team opens the season at home against the White Sox on Friday.
