The Detroit Tigers selected Spencer Torkelson with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft expecting him to be their future face of the franchise. It took a while for him to really get things kicked into gear at the MLB level, but Torkelson wound up hitting 31 home runs with 94 RBI thanks to a monster second half in 2023.
That kind of year gave Tigers fans hope that he'd turn into the star everyone thought he would, but the 2024 campaign has been nothing short of a disaster for the 24-year-old. Torkelson was slashing .201/.266/.330 with just four home runs and 18 RBI in 54 games played.
A Torkelson demotion was the last thing on Scott Harris' mind entering the season, but with him struggling so mightily, the Tigers were left with little choice. Torkelson was sent down to AAA Toledo on Sunday to try and show why he was so highly-touted. With that decision came another one to release former top-10 pick Keston Hiura.
Spencer Torkelson's demotion led to another shocking Tigers roster move
The Tigers signed Hiura, a player with four years of MLB experience, to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training this offseason to add some organizational depth. Hiura impressed in Spring Training, posting a .966 OPS in 31 at-bats, but he had just a .713 OPS in 49 games as Toledo's regular first baseman.
With Torkelson set to take over in that position, the Mud Hens had no need for Hiura and the Tigers released him, giving him an opportunity to latch on elsewhere.
Hiura knows what it's like to have his ups and downs at the MLB level as a high draft pick. He was taken with the No. 9 pick in the 2017 Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers and exploded onto the scene in 2019, but hasn't come close to living up to the hype since and hasn't even appeared in an MLB game since 2022. The hope is that Torkelson will not suffer the same fate.