Spencer Torkelson opened the 2025 season on a high note, and he hasn’t come down since.
The Detroit Tigers first baseman went 2-for-3 with a home run against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, driving in three of his teams’ four runs in their 4-0 victory. The 25-year-old slugger is now batting .314 with four home runs, five doubles, eight walks, 10 RBIs, a 1.066 OPS and a 0.7 WAR through 14 games.
According to Underdog Fantasy’s Justin Havens, Torkelson’s OPS is the highest by a qualified Tigers first baseman through the first 14 games of a season since Prince Fielder’s 1.100 mark in 2013. Fielder went on to make an All-Star appearance that summer, while the Tigers would win the AL Central crown and make it to the ALCS.
Torkelson, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, established himself as a keystone member of the Tigers’ lineup in 2023 by racking up 31 home runs, 34 doubles and 94 RBIs in 159 games. He struggled in the first few months of 2024, though, ultimately getting sent back down to Triple-A.
After batting .201 with a .597 OPS in the first half, Torkelson hit .248 with a .781 OPS upon his return, helping Detroit snag a Wild Card spot in the process. Despite hitting .190 with a .625 OPS in the postseason, Torkelson seems to have gotten things back on track in the early goings of the 2025 campaign.
Torkelson and the Tigers, sitting atop the AL Central standings at 9-5, will look to close out a sweep over the Twins on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET.
This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.
