This feels like the beginning of the end for Spencer Torkelson

There was always something a bit off about the way Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson approached things at the plate at the MLB level.

The Tigers selected him No. 1 overall in the 2020 MLB Draft with the hope that he'd quickly become a cornerstone piece for the struggling franchise. Torkelson had hit 53 home runs at Arizona State in three seasons (one shortened by Covid-19). He appeared to have an MLB-ready swing and the home run power to become a consistent slugger at the next level.

That product is what the Tigers envisioned out of Torkelson and as he mashed through the minor leagues in 2020 and 2021, the vision seemed closer to becoming a reality.

He made the Opening Day roster in 2022 to great fanfare within the Tigers organization. Unfortunately, though, he spent just a few months in the big leagues before being sent back down to Triple-A after hitting just .199 with five home runs — frequently looking lost at the plate. He came back in September to finish with an average of .203 with eight home runs. His first foray at the MLB level was certainly a disappointment.

After another slow start in 2023, Torkelson finally seemed to figure it out about halfway through the summer. 

He finished 2023 with 31 home runs, 94 RBI and 66 extra-base hits, appearing finally ready to be the breakout star the Tigers needed in 2024. The Tigers were lackluster in free agency this past offseason, further casting the spotlight on Torkelson.

Flash forward to June 2024 and Torkelson has been mostly a detriment to Detroit's offense rather than a catalyst. He was sent down yet again after an abysmal start to this season. He heads back down to Triple-A Toledo after hitting .201 with four home runs and 56 strikeouts with an OPS of .597.

He's been one of the worst everyday players in the league, to the point where manager A.J. Hinch was starting to use him like a non-every day player. He played in only two of the Tigers' last four games, but even that time to cool off on the bench didn't help him. He went 0-for-4 in both of his games played this past weekend.

It's worth noting that Torkelson is only 24 years old so he still has plenty of time to turn around his averages and at least become an MLB average baseball player. But even that hope is so far off what the Tigers were thinking when they took him first overall in the 2020 draft.

They're sending him down with the hopes that he'll eventually be able to figure out his timing and mechanics. However, if that's still a problem (and it is) now three years into his professional career, there's certainly a world in which this call-down is the beginning of the end for Torkelson's professional career — at least with the Tigers.