The left field seats at Comerica Park have officially been warned.
The Tigers announced Saturday that Spencer Torkelson has officially made the Opening Day roster. A product of Arizona State University, Torkelson was the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2020 MLB draft.
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Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila made the announcement this morning in Lakeland.
“He was very excited and very emotional, yeah very happy obviously,” Avila said.
Torkelson was drafted by Detroit as a third baseman, but will likely see most of his time in the infield at first base. Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera campaigned for Torkelson’s major league promotion early in spring training, suggesting he’ll fill the role of designated hitter.
The hype surrounding Torkelson is real. Last season, he played in all three levels of the Tigers’ minor league system mashing 30 homers with 91 RBIs in 121 games. This spring, he’s hitting .280 with four doubles and three RBIs in 12 games. He finished his three-year ASU career with 54 home runs across 129 games.
The announcement of Torkelson’s promotion is rather bittersweet, as it comes the same day the Tigers announce No. 2 prospect Riley Greene fractured his right foot after fouling a pitch off his foot in yesterday’s spring training game.
You’ll be able to watch Torkelson along with newcommers Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez don the Old English D for the first time next Friday when the Tigers take on the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day.