Many thanks to him. [23] He hit his first major league home run off Red Sox pitcher Austin Davis on April 13. We were going around this town of around 200,000 people, and people were coming up to him. [2], As a freshman at Arizona State, Torkelson batted .320/.440/.743 with 25 home runs and 53 RBIs over 55 games. LAKELAND, Fla. Spencer Torkelson, the Detroit Tigers ' first baseman, concealed some of his emotions as he spoke to reporters for the first time as an official Major League Baseball player.. become a hit. us. Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have The same day, he was added to the Tigers' 60-man player pool. (When Torkelson and Bonds spoke over FaceTime last offseason, the all-time home run leader advised his fellow Sun Devil not to worry about hitting for power. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. His current contract terms are 2 yrs/$3.65M (22-23). Rick and Lori Torkelson seized upon the opportunity to visit Joe -- Loris brother -- and allow their sons, Matthew and Spencer, to experience the global sports spectacle. When I got old enough to go to the gym with him, hed say, All right. Spencer Turnbull was born on September 18, 1992. With his first home run in the series against Cal, Torkelson hashomered in every single Pac-12 ballpark in the league despite being just a sophomore. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. * Click Any Legend Option to Reset Chart |. 3B Spencer Torkelson assigned to West Michigan Whitecaps from Lakeland Flying Tigers. Torkelson has terrific hitting ability with an advanced approach and plate discipline, plus bat speed and plus-plus power. Join our linker program. Tied for the lead in home runs (2) for the 2019 Collegiate National Team. I dont bring it up. Spencer saw trading cards with his uncles picture on them. Many thanks to him. Note: All figures in this table cover the period 2015-present. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. The Official Site of Minor League Baseball web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips. He played 31 games there before receiving his first promotion, moving up to the Erie SeaWolves of the Double-A Northeast, then after 50 games received a final promotion, to the Toledo Mud Hens of Triple-A East. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. School: Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ), Rookie Status: [11][12] As a junior, Torkelson hit six home runs in a COVID-19 shortened season, giving him 53 for his ASU career, three shy of ASU's career record. August 26, 1999 Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. He was a first baseman in college, and sometimes outfielder, although the Tigers announced him as a third baseman (he slid back to playing first base in the pros, however). Perfect Game's National Freshman of the Year award-winner in 2018 named by _Collegiate Baseball Newspaper _as the National Co-Freshman of the Year and the NCBWA as the National Freshman Hitter of the Year in 2018 was a four-year varsity starter at Casa Grande High School in California where he hit .430 with 136 hits, 11 homers, 99 RBIs and 32 doubles in 110 games on the mound in high school, he had a 1.24 ERA in 16 career appearances over 22 2/3 innings was listed as No. The third Sun Devil to be named Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, joining Ike Davis (2006) and Jason Kipnis (2008). I was like, All right, Ive still got it. He hit 23 more in 2019 and had already hit 6 in 17 games when the college baseball season was canceled in 2020. 208 ranked player nationally and listed as No. Its probably still a little too soon, he said. He led the nation with 25 home runs that year, breaking Barry Bonds' ASU freshman home run record. All rights reserved. Scouts compared him to Mark Teixeira as a power-hitting first baseman who should reach the majors quickly. All rights reserved. Instead, he struggled to a 1-for-27 showing in the Grapefruit League. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will Im like, Youre just my family. I didnt get the whole celebrity thing yet. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. View Complete Percentile Rankings Leaderboard, View Complete Expected Home Runs Leaderboard, View Complete Year to Year Changes Leaderboard, View Fielder Positioning for Spencer Torkelson, View Complete Outs Above Average Leaderboard, View Complete Fielder Positioning Leaderboard, Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA). Im the biggest Tigers fan in the world now, but in that 2012 World Series, Id be lying to you if I said I wasnt rooting for the Giants. Here's what to know about the Arizona State product: FAST FACTS MLB organization: Tigers Birthdate: Aug. 26, 1999 (Age 23 in 2022) [13], The Detroit Tigers selected Torkelson with the first overall pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. Signed thru 2023, 1 yr/$723k (23), Service Time (01/2023): 0.137 Exceeded rookie limits during 2022 season, 2023 Contract Status: American League Futures activated 3B Spencer Torkelson. Anthony Fenech: "Arizona State's Spencer Torkelson 'too perfect' for Detroit Tigers to pass in MLB draft". I would be walking around, and people would be coming up to Joe and his family, Torkelson recalled this week in an interview. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. Undrafted after his four-year high school career in Northern California, Torkelson exploded onto the college baseball scene at Arizona State with one of the best freshman seasons ever. Im the best. Torkelson was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 8, 2022, with the Detroit Tigers. "Greene has rocketed up the minors since the Tigers. Spencer Enochs Torkelson (born August 26, 1999) is an American baseball first baseman and third baseman for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Spencer Turnbull has 18 strikeouts this season and 274 strikeouts over his career. School: Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ), Debut: All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. 3B Spencer Torkelson assigned to Detroit Tigers . BA Newsletter: Get Analysis, Rankings Delivered To Your Inbox! Hes one of the most polished hitters weve seen in the Draft for quite some time, showing plus-plus power and excellent plate discipline.". by Retrosheet. He was a freak of nature that way, ever since we were young.. Detroit Tigers optioned 3B Spencer Torkelson to Toledo Mud Hens. [6][7] After the season, he played for the United States collegiate national team. Detroit Tigers selected the contract of 3B Spencer Torkelson, , and from Toledo Mud Hens. I never had to wake him up for an early game. He was likely to start the bulk of games at first base, with Miguel Cabrera being relegated to DH duties and was to become the first Tigers player to make his major league debut as a starting player on Opening Day since Austin Jackson and Scott Sizemore in 2010. "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second Torkelson said he has worked at third base in fall ball the past couple of years. Spencer Torkelson Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com Spencer Torkelson Position: First Baseman Bats: Right Throws: Right 6-1 , 220lb (185cm, 99kg) Team: Detroit Tigers (majors) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 20 Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. and 32 degrees. In fact, Tigers fans will be enthused to learn one aspect of Torkelsons perspective on the Giants three World Series championships in the previous decade: He values the camaraderie he witnessed among homegrown position players Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt -- all of whom remain with the Giants now. What changed was [that] I went down with a little hamstring injury for three or four days [in late May]. He could be at least adequate in left field, but most observers want him to stay at first base so he can focus on hitting. Placed on the Perfect Game Freshman All-America First Team. 1 MLB pick Spencer Torkelson", "No. 3B Spencer Torkelson assigned to Erie SeaWolves from West Michigan Whitecaps. I dont know what they were then. Wrapped up a historic freshman campaign by taking home numerous national and conference awards. He wanted to play on as many travel ball teams as he could. Signed thru 2023, 2 yrs/$3.65M (22-23), Service Time (01/2023): 4.020 I stayed busy and did what it took to feel like I was getting better. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. Day. Spencer Torkelson Detroit Tigers Age: 23 Bats/Throws: R/R 6' 1" / 220 1B Quick Look 2023 Games Played: 1B: 25 Prospects Report 2022 Graduates Team Rank: 1 Overall Rank: 4 ETA: 2022 Graduation. I wanted to wear my baseball uniform. We present them here for purely educational purposes. While he has below-average speed, he runs well underway and has. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Jason Beck: "Tigers sign No. Surpassed the previous Sun Devil freshman record of 11 home runs set by Barry Bonds in 1983 against Washington State. His signing bonus was $8,416,300. Detroit Tigers invited non-roster 3B Spencer Torkelson to spring training. He slugged a an incredible .729 over his career also just shy of Mitch Jones school record .731 from 1999-2000. Spencer was born Aug. 26, 1999, about one month before the Giants played their final game at Candlestick Park. He played 20 Pac-12 series and homered in 18 - the season finales against Cal (2018) and Stanford (2019) being the only exceptions. All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Spencer Torkelson went 2-for-3 with a homer and a walk Wednesday against the Guardians. Do you have a blog? Competed for the U.S. Collegiate National Team for the second consecutive summer following his sophomore campaign. A Statcast metric designed to express the demonstrated skill of catchers at preventing wild pitches or passed balls compared to their peers. Join our linker program. Do you have a blog? Nowadays, Im rooting for the Tigers, so I dont think it matters too much.. Orange Bull is a nickname for Spencer Turnbull. Surely, Tigers fans will love the image of a young Torkelson, strolling through a town founded in medieval times by Charlemagne, looking as if hes ready to step into the batters box for his Petaluma (Calif.) Little League team. National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, "Benefield: Casa Grande star adding basketball to sports resume", "Casa infielders Torkelson, Smith choose colleges", "ASU slugger Spencer Torkelson is ready for encore after record-setting freshman season", "Spencer Torkelson sets new Pac-12 freshman home run record", "ASU's Spencer Torkelson named Pac-12 baseball Freshman of the Year", "Spencer Torkelson Named to USA Baseball Collegiate National Team", "Cal baseball edges No. Of course, the Giants played the Tigers next. It took him until his fifth game to get his first major league hit, and it came against Rich Hill of the Boston Red Sox in the 3rd inning on August 12th. Spencer also enjoyed soccer, Matthews favorite team sport. Salt River Rafters activated 3B Spencer Torkelson. Defensively, Torkelsonmade huge strides and helped turn 10more double plays than any other player in the Pac-12 (57), which was a testament to some of the impressive stretches and picks he has made to make those possible. Draft: Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1st round (1st) of the 2020 MLB June Amateur Draft from Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ). 1 overall in program history, easily an NCAA-high How high/low, in degrees, a ball was hit by a batter. Detroit Tigers optioned 3B Spencer Torkelson to Toledo Mud Hens. Spencer Turnbull Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com Spencer Turnbull Position: Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Right 6-3 , 210lb (190cm, 95kg) Team: Detroit Tigers (majors) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 56 Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Spencer Turnbull page at the Bullpen Wiki, Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. [24] On July 17, the Tigers optioned Torkelson to AAA Toledo. [19] On August 15, he was promoted to the Toledo Mud Hens of Triple-A East, where finished the season and hit .238/.350/.481 with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs over 40 games. He would show up to our 10 a.m. baseball games after playing in a 6 a.m. hockey game, said Joe Lampe, the Arizona State outfielder who played with Torkelson in youth baseball and high school. "He would show up to our 10 a.m. baseball games after playing in a 6 a.m. hockey game," said Joe Lampe, the Arizona State outfielder who played with Torkelson in youth baseball and high school. When Enochs retired several years later, the club named a section of seats in his honor -- analogous to Kalines Corner at Comerica Park, Torkelsons future baseball home. High School: Madison Central HS (Madison, MS), School: University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL), Debut: The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. I was pretty heartbroken, Torkelson said. I think that left a major impression on Spencer.. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball, Salaries may not be complete (especially pre-1985) and may not include some earned bonuses. environmental effects. And perhaps there was some of Uncle Joes influence in Spencers resolve, too. 3B Spencer Torkelson roster status changed by Detroit Tigers. All rights reserved. Yet, the No. But I wasnt going to wear a soccer outfit. [22] His first major league hit was a double off Boston Red Sox pitcher Rich Hill on April 12. https://www.baseball-reference.com/bpv/index.php?title=Spencer_Torkelson&oldid=1264784, Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. Statcast refers to the spin that contributes to movement Lori and Rick are partners in the accounting firm they own, Torkelson & Associates CPAs, LLP, in Petaluma. You have to go out and take it.. Spencer Torkelson was the first overall pick of the 2020 Amateur Draft, by the Detroit Tigers. Spencer Torkelson was born on Thursday, August 26, 1999, in Petaluma, California. Spencer Torkelson's college career ended before he could finish rewriting Arizona State's record books, but the slugger could achieve something rarely done as this draft's top pick. 3B Spencer Torkelson roster status changed by Detroit Tigers. He went to major league spring training in 2021, then was assigned to the West Michigan Whitecaps of the new High-A Central league when the minor league season began in May. Find out more. Torkelson is only the third player in Pac-12 history to have back-to-back 20+ home run seasons.