Detroit Tigers send 2020 No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo
Spencer Torkelson is headed back to Triple-A Toledo.
The Detroit Tigers announced Sunday the organization is optioning Torkelson, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, to the Mud Hens. How long Torkelson stays in the minor leagues will be dictated by his approach at the plate.
There is no timetable for his return to the Tigers.
Torkelson, a 22-year-old rookie first baseman, hit .197 with 11 doubles and five home runs in 264 at-bats over 82 games for the Tigers, as well as posting 29 walks and 76 strikeouts.
ANALYSIS: Why Tigers had no choice but to demote Spencer Torkelson
He has an on-base percentage of .282 and an anemic slugging percentage of .295, giving him a .577 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. Of the 157 qualified batters in baseball, Torkelson's offensive performance ranks No. 153 with a 68 wRC+. (The league average for Weighted Runs Created Plus is 100.)
He's part of a historically bad offense that has scored an MLB-worst 288 runs, averaging 3.13 per game. The Oakland Athletics rank 29th with 302 runs. The Tigers are fourth in the American League Central Division and have the third-worst record in the American League.
DRAFT NIGHT: A decade of Tigers' MLB drafts haven't resulted in many stars at big-league level
THE OTHER ROOKIE: A step toward stardom: What Tigers' Riley Greene showed over two games in Cleveland
The All-Star break begins Monday, so Torkelson will begin the second half of the season in Toledo.
He made 40 appearances for the Mud Hens in 2021— after starting the season in High-A West Michigan (31 games), then moving to Double-A Erie (50 games) — and batted .238 with 11 homers in 147 at-bats. His OBP was .350 and he slugged .531 for an .881 OPS.
JEFF SEIDEL: How Tigers went from drafting like 'zombies' to finding late-round gems
RYAN FORD: Why Al Avila's MLB drafts with Tigers have been better than you think
Sunday is a big night for the franchise, which has the No. 12 overall selection in the first round of the MLB draft. The Tigers, whose game Sunday in Cleveland against the Guardians was postponed due to inclement weather, next play Thursday at Oakland for a doubleheader.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers send Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo
