DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers have promoted top prospects Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene to Triple-A after both enjoyed a monster series over the weekend.
Torkelson, who is playing his first season of professional baseball after the Tigers drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, stole headlines Thursday by going a perfect 7-for-7 in a doubleheader. The 21-year-old hit three home runs, a double and three singles in the Erie SeaWolves’ two wins over the Altoona Curve.
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Though he went just 1-for-9 in two games after that explosion, Torkelson has certainly earned his promotion. In 50 games with Erie, he hit .263 with a .373 on-base percentage and .560 slugging percentage. He hit 10 doubles and 14 home runs while drawing 30 walks and striking out 50 times in 212 plate appearances.
Greene, the No. 5 pick in the 2019 draft, didn’t go 7-for-7 in the doubleheader, but he had an even more impressive overall series vs. Altoona. In six games from Tuesday to Sunday, Greene went 13-for-26 with three doubles, a triple, four home runs, 12 RBI, two walks and six strikeouts. He also scored nine runs.
Greene started the 2021 minor league season with Erie and played 84 games there before his promotion. Overall, he hit .298 with a .381 OBP and .525 slugging percentage. He finished with 16 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs and 12 stolen bases.
Detroit also promoted shortstop prospect Ryan Kreidler, who was drafted in the fourth round in 2019. Kreidler hit 15 doubles and 15 home runs while slashing .256/.325/.429 in Double-A. He also struck in 119 times in 388 plate appearances -- an inflated 30.7% strikeout rate.
This promotion will give Torkelson, Greene and Kreidler a chance to compete for a division title in Toledo. The Mud Hens are currently just a half-game behind Omaha in the Triple-A East Midwest Division, and the Tigers were recently forced to call up Renato Nunez and Jacob Robson due to injury.
Another interesting domino to fall in this equation: right-handed pitcher Reese Olson -- acquired in the Daniel Norris trade from Milwaukee last month -- was promoted from West Michigan to Erie. In his two starts with the Tigers’ High-A affiliate, Olson pitched 11 scoreless innings, striking out 14 batters while allowing just six hits and two walks. In his most recent start, he struck out 10 batters and induced an incredible 24 swinging strikes on 92 pitches.
