Openings day in Detroit is coming this Friday against the Chicago White Sox. Fans of the Detroit Tigers are use to seeing Miguel Cabrera’s name in the opening day lineup, and for good reason he is a future Hall of Famer. This season will be different, while Cabrera will be in the lineup it will be at DH, first base has been handed over to MLB Pipeline’s #4 ranked prospect Spencer Torkelson.
In what is being described as a passing of the torch moment, Tigers general manager Al Avila said the organization informed Torkelson at lunch. He was called into manager H.J. Hinch’s office where Avila, Hinch and Cabrera were waiting for him. That is when it happened.
In a clear passing of the torch the longtime Detroit first basemen Cabrera handed Torkelson his first basemen’s glove. Avila said Torkelson became very emotional.
This is a clear signal to fans, media and the rest of the team the long rebuild is coming to and end. So was it a good idea to promote the 2020 MLB’s first overall draft pick?
Spencer Torkelson is hitting .280 *7-for-25* with four doubles, three RBIs, two walks and four strikeouts in 12 games this spring. Last season Tork (as he is known) at three levels of minor league play hit 30 home runs with 91 RBI’s that was after a brutal spring training.
As with any rookie and or top prospects there will be bumps in the road. The Tigers brass understand this. Still it was clear when they drafted him that Torkelson would not need much minor league time.
The only sort of rain on the otherwise bright news that Spencer Torkelson made the opening day roster is that fellow top prospect (#5 in MLB Pipeline’s ranking) Riley Greene fractured his foot and will be sidelined a while.
Up until the moment he was injured it to was widely speculated Greene would be joining Torkelson in Detroit opening day. He most certainly will be on the team this season, it is just going to be delayed.
So as the future of the Detroit Tigers begin to filter into Comerica Park, How do you feel about Spencer Torkelson making the opening day lineup? Drop a comment and let us know.
