The Detroit Tigers are having a rough year, and first baseman Spencer Torkelson is having a historically bad one at the plate. Through Saturday’s win over the White Sox, Torkelson already has 96 strikeouts. That puts him on pace for around 205 whiffs this season, which would break Riley Greene’s franchise record of 201 set just last year.
The Detroit Free Press pointed out the milestone on social media, and it’s not exactly the kind of history a young hitter wants to make. Torkelson did get a hit and scored a run in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Chicago, but he also struck out once. So the trend isn’t really slowing down.
Look, the guy has power. He’s got 12 homers and 29 RBIs so far. But the swing-and-miss issues are real, and for a team that’s already 32-44 and near the bottom of the AL Central, it’s another headache in a season full of them.
Skubal Is Back and Already Stirring Things Up
The Tigers got some good news recently when ace Tarik Skubal returned from injury. He made his first start back against the White Sox, and he didn’t exactly ease back in quietly. Skubal got into a shouting match with several Chicago players during the game — the kind of heated exchange that reminds you he’s been itching to compete again.
“We’re fighting tooth and nail for every win we can get, and obviously we kind of put ourselves in that position,” Skubal told MLB.com. “We’ve got to fight our way out of it.”
He also admitted his emotions got the better of him. “I’m a competitive guy. I kind of wear my emotions out there and that’s part of how I play the game,” Skubal said. “I think it’s just baseball, going back and forth. It is what it is. It happened. It’s over with.”
The Tigers have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, which is fine but not exactly a turnaround. Skubal’s presence should help stabilize the rotation, but the offense still has to figure things out. Torkelson is a big part of that equation. If he can cut down the strikeouts even a little, it might help Detroit climb out of the division cellar. But right now, the record books are calling his name for all the wrong reasons.
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