The Tigers know Spencer Torkelson has the potential to be an elite hitter. At Arizona State, he hit 54 home runs in fewer than three seasons. Patrick Breen, Patrick Breen/The Republic

Spencer Torkelson is officially a member of the Detroit Tigers, and also a very wealthy man.

As first reported by MLB.com’s Jim Callis, the No. 1 overall pick signed with the Tigers on Monday and received a bonus of $8,416,300. That’s slightly over slot, and is also a record bonus for an MLB draftee.

The Tigers know Torkelson has the potential to be an elite hitter. At Arizona State, he hit 54 home runs in fewer than three seasons. That’s incredible power for a college hitter, and the Tigers were not letting him get away.

The expectation now is that Torkelson will join the Tigers’ player pool for the shortened season. That means we could actually see him at the MLB level in 2020.

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