Tigers do the unthinkable with Spencer Torkelson as he nears brutal MLB history

Spencer Torkelson was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, and there wasn't much of a debate for any other candidate. Tork was considered to be the most MLB-ready prospect, a slugging corner infielder out of Arizona State and the natural replacement for Miguel Cabrera in the Tigers organization.

Yet, as many MLB teams have found out before and since then, drafting in baseball is often a crapshoot. More than any other sport, prospects are judged on loose interpretations rather than facts. I don't envy the job of an MLB scout, because at times it seems impossible. Torkelson is just the latest example of what seemed like a surefire big-league home run hitter flopping.

We can blame the player. We can blame the organization's development system. Heck, we can blame the fans. Yet, a first-round pick in the MLB Draft is far from a guarantee.

Why the Tigers sent Spencer Torkelson back to the minor leagues

Sitting just a game under .500, the Tigers haven't made the postseason since 2014. It's been a long rebuild, and this team actually has a chance to compete for a Wild Card spot if they make the right moves to support a strong starting rotation. Giving MLB at-bats to a player like Torkelson, who was on pace for a historically bad 2024 season, is a waste when the likes of Justyn Henry-Malloy are sitting in the Tigers system. When asked if a demotion was on the horizon for Torkelson this morning, Hinch tried not to give away his hand.

"I don't know," Hinch said. "I knew I was going to get asked the question when he sits two out of three days. We haven't talked a ton about things like that this morning. We're trying to find a way to win the game today. That's the No. 1 important thing."

Entering Sunday's action, Torkelson had the second-lowest OPS among first baseman with at least 1,200 career plate appearances in MLB history. That's how bad he has been.

A trip down to Toledo to rework his swing is a start, and the Tigers can't afford to rush him back up to the majors until he gets this right. Detroit has a lot invested in Torkelson. Hopefully, that wasn't a mistake.