Spencer Torkelson Stats & Scouting Report College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

TRACK RECORD: Torkelson was a jack-of-all trades at Casa Grande High in Petaluma, Calif., playing football and basketball in addition to baseball and spending time as both a pitcher and position player on the diamond. He was on the fringe of draft radars but went undrafted out of high school. As a freshman at Arizona State, Torkelson led the nation with 25 home runs and smashed Barry Bonds’ school freshman home run record. He followed up by batting .351/.446/.707 with 23 home runs as a sophomore and entered his junior season on the verge of breaking the Sun Devils’ career home run record and entering the national top 10. Torkelson drew 31 walks in 17 games in 2020 as opponents gave him the Bonds treatment and simply pitched around him, but he still managed to hit six home runs in limited action before the season was shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Tigers decided he was their pick early in the process and wasted no time selecting him No. 1 overall, signing him for a draft record $8.146 million bonus. The only surprise was that they announced Torkelson as a third baseman.

SCOUTING REPORT: Torkelson’s power is enormous, but he’s far from an all-or-nothing slugger. A strong, physical righthanded hitter, Torkelson has plus bat speed and manages the strike zone with ease. His advanced barrel control and hand-eye coordination are complemented by exceptional timing. He hits all types of pitches, draws walks and makes balls disappear with his 80-grade power. In short, he projects to be an offensive force in the middle of a lineup. Torkelson has occasionally struggled against low breaking balls, but scouts don’t cite it as common enough to be labeled as a red flag. Even with that minor concern, evaluators project Torkelson to hit .280 with 40-plus homers on the high end and .260 with 30-plus home runs on the low end. Torkelson is a good athlete for his size, but despite being drafted as a third baseman, his long-term position is likely first base. He is an above-average defender there with an average arm, solid athleticism and footwork and fringe-average speed. Some evaluators believe he could play left field if necessary, though it would take time for him to learn the position.

THE FUTURE: Torkelson joined the team at the alternate training site after signing and continued play during instructional league in Lakeland, Fla. Once regular-season play resumes, expect the Tigers to challenge Torkelson with an aggressive path to the big leagues. He draws frequent comparisons with Paul Konerko as a potential all-star and face of the franchise.

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