Lakeland, Fla. — Hard to believe that at this time last year, the Tigers weren’t sure where or if Spencer Torkelson fit into their plans.
The first overall pick in the 2020 draft, who hit 31 homers in 2023, struggled to the point being demoted to Triple A in 2024. And last winter, after the Tigers signed second baseman Gleyber Torres, they announced Colt Keith was going to be the regular first baseman.
That’s what Torkelson was dealing with last spring. At one point, he was even taking reps in right field to expand his positional flexibility.
It’s almost laughable to think about that now after Torkelson quickly regained his status as the team’s first baseman, playing 155 games, hitting 31 homers again with 78 RBIs and a .789 OPS.
You’d think he’d come to camp this year lighter emotionally, freer, carring a lot less mental baggage.
Not exactly.
“I really enjoyed last year’s camp,” he said Monday. “I enjoy being externally motivated. This is even harder for me because you have to find a way to light that fire every single day.”
Not to worry, though. Torkelson has plenty of internal motivation to make up for it.
“I still believe I haven’t proven much in this game,” he said. “It’s pretty easy to light a fire every day just trying to figure out how good can I be. That’s the motivation. It’s not can I stick. No. It’s how good can I be.
“And honestly, that’s a little harder.”
One thing is certain, Torkelson won’t take his production in 2025 for granted. He’s learned, the hard way, that he’s not entitled to 30-homer seasons. He has to fight for them.
“I learned my lesson in 2024 when maybe I was a little too comfortable,” he said. “I didn’t feel totally comfortable but maybe I was, going into my third season and coming off 2023. Maybe I didn’t have enough fire.
“This year I’m just staying as hungry as possible.”
To that end, he changed his workout location this winter. Alex Bregman invited him to train, along with a large group of big-leaguers and prospects, at his new facility, Club Nemesis, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“It was great to get a first-hand look at what those guys go through in the offseason,” Torkelson said. “Obviously, they are very successful and have had pretty long careers at this point. Just to see what they do day in and day out, how they take care of themselves and go about their day to day was awesome.”
Besides Bregman, who is part owner of the facility, Torkelson worked alongside Matt Chapman, Ryan McMahon, Zac Gallen, Rob Refsnyder and others.
When Bregman first invited him, Torkelson hesitated. First of all, he’d gotten married in January and spent five days honeymooning in Hawaii. As lovely as that was, he was getting antsy about getting back to his routine.
And the trek from his home in Gilbert, Arizona, to Scottsdale can take over an hour most mornings.
“Plus, I’ve never not worked out by myself,” he said. “I liked what I was doing and I liked where I was at. But honestly, it didn’t take much convincing.”
He’s glad he did. He feels ready to hit the ground running, just as he did last season.
“You know, 2024 wasn’t a lost year,” he said. “I learned a lot from it. I still had hundreds of at-bats (381 plate appearances). I learned a lot and I got better, even though it felt like I got worse. I found a way to get better.”
Like the rest of the team, Torkelson took a couple of weeks to process the disappointment of the 15-inning loss in Seattle in Game 5 of the American League Division Series. The battle scars are worn proudly.
“You kind of try to flush it and take what you can from it,” he said. “What an unbelievable experience. What an unbelievable atmosphere. Just being in that position, as a team we can take a lot of positives from that.”
He mentioned all the clutch pitching, the clutch defensive plays, all the scoring opportunities that went empty, especially from eighth inning on. Torkelson himself stranded runners in the eighth and 11th innings — galling but you have to grow from those moments.
“We were grinding,” he said. “Yes, we lost. But there was so much good to take out of it.”
Just like he used his struggles in 2024 to springboard into a bounce-back season in 2025, Torkelson sees the heartbreak of Game 5 as a galvanizing catalyst for the Tigers this season.
“Move on and get better,” he said.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: For Tigers’ Torkelson, Game 5 gut-punch can be catalyst for growth in ’26
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
