LAKELAND, Fla. — Spencer Torkelson, the Detroit Tigers‘ first baseman, concealed some of his emotions as he spoke to reporters for the first time as an official Major League Baseball player.
“It took a lot out of me to not…”
Torkelson paused.
“Uh, cry.”
His parents, Rick and Lori, woke up to a phone call at 8:15 a.m. Saturday at the family home in Petaluma, California. As certified public accountants — managing partners of Torkelson & Associates CPAs, LLP — they work seven days a week this time of year. It’s tax season. When Saturday rolls around, they sleep in until 9 a.m. before getting ready to leave for the office.
“He woke us up,” Rick said. “I haven’t needed coffee today.”
Their son, Spencer, had just walked out of Tigers manager AJ Hinch’s office, where the 22-year-old had a life-changing meeting with Hinch, general manager Al Avila and Hall of Fame-bound designated hitter Miguel Cabrera. The clock read 11:15 a.m. for Spencer in Lakeland, more than 2,700 miles from his hometown.
That’s when the former No. 1 overall pick called his parents to deliver the news: He made the Tigers’ Opening Day roster as the starting first baseman April 8 against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park.
“All three of us were crying,” Rick said.
“It’s the realization of his lifelong dream, and therefore, our dream also,” Lori said. “We’ve been right there with him, rooting him on, getting through the slumps, going through the good times.”
“And taking him to travel ball,” Rick chimed in, laughing.
The Torkelson family — Rick, Lori, Spencer and Matthew — operates like a well-oiled machine, especially when it comes to communication. Rick and Spencer talk on the phone after every game to dissect the details. While Rick naturally focuses on baseball, Lori works her magic by reminding Spencer that, yes, he’s a great player, but more importantly, he’s an exceptional young man. Easing some of the pressure is Lori’s strength.
And that’s a good thing because there’s a lot of pressure.
The Tigers drafted Torkelson in 2020 out of Arizona State, paying him an $8.4 million signing bonus not to develop into an average player, but to become a great player.
“We bought the bat for a reason,” Hinch said.
There have been 56 No. 1 draftees in MLB history, beginning with the inaugural amateur draft in 1965. Of those, 24 have been selected to the All-Star Game and four have won Rookie of the Year.
The Tigers didn’t second-guess their draft choice in last year’s spring training, but Torkelson’s production in his first MLB camp was underwhelming. He hit .037 (1-for-27) with four walks and 16 strikeouts in 19 games.
“When spring training started last year,” Rick said, “he was trying to live up to an image that he thought people had of him. Like, ‘No. 1 pick, I got to go be Superman.’ He got thumped pretty quickly.”
This spring, though, Torkelson is hitting .280 (7-for-25) with four doubles, three RBIs, two walks and four strikeouts through 12 games. He has displayed above-average defense at first base, giving the Tigers a projected above-average infield with second baseman Jonathan Schoop, shortstop Javier Baez and third baseman Jeimer Candelario.
Between spring trainings, Torkelson hit .267 and crushed 30 home runs across 121 games in the minor leagues last season, climbing from High-A West Michigan to Triple-A Toledo. He hit .238 with 11 homers for the Mud Hens.
The Tigers learned Torkelson needed time to adjust to each level in 2021, and the numbers reflected the assessment, but once he got comfortable, he always surpassed expectations.
“But this year, when he arrived at spring training, he really felt like he belonged,” Lori said. “Last year, it was different. He hadn’t played a lot of baseball for a while (because of the COVID-19 pandemic).”
Torkelson thanked Cabrera for the sense of belonging. The face of the Tigers’ franchise publicly vouched for the top prospect to make the Opening Day roster from the first day of spring training, as did Schoop, Candelario and starting pitcher Casey Mize.
Cabrera, entering his 20th MLB season, deferred to Torkelson when asked how often he wanted to play first base — his favorite position — in 2022.
“I don’t know because we want Torkelson in the lineup,” Cabrera said. “I’ll take the DH spot. I’ll talk to the manager and see what his plans are, but I am open to anything. I’m just here to help the team win.”
“That really helped with confidence,” Torkelson said, “and just feeling like, you know what, I do belong, because I got Miguel Cabrera saying I belong in the lineup. It’s really special. He has no idea how much it means to me.”
It wasn’t the first time Cabrera boosted Torkelson’s confidence. They had an exchange in July 2020, less than a month after the draft, during the Tigers’ summer camp at Comerica Park. As Torkelson walked down the hallway, Cabrera yelled: “Hey, get on this side of the locker room. We need you.”
Talk about a warm welcome.
“That meant a lot to Spenny,” Rick said. “Miggy’s been there all along. … It humanized him, too. Instead of being way up on this plateau, he was just one of the guys who wanted his help. He really felt good about that, even a year ago.”
Torkelson also found comfort on the field through his off-field friendship with Riley Greene, the Tigers’ 21-year-old center fielder drafted No. 5 overall in 2019. They were scheduled to make their MLB debuts together, until Greene suffered a fracture in his right foot in Friday’s spring training game.
Greene could miss six to eight weeks.
“Breaks my heart,” Torkelson said. “As soon as I found out, I came over and gave him a hug. I wanted to go through this with him. I know how bad he wanted it. He’ll be back stronger than ever. This team can’t wait to have him. We’re a better team with him.”
Rick and Lori are proud of their son for his latest accomplishment, but to Torkelson, Greene is family, like a twin brother in the baseball realm. Torkelson and Greene have lived together for the past two spring trainings. Their families always hung out at minor-league games.
Greene hit .429 (9-for-21) with three doubles, two triples, two home runs, four RBIs, three walks and six strikeouts in 11 games this spring. He had a .301 batting average with 24 homers in 124 games last season, advancing with Torkelson from Double-A to Triple-A.
“It really burst part of the bubble,” Rick said. “It’s crushing. I feel so bad. It doesn’t heal overnight, but as soon as he gets to working out again, he’ll get to Triple-A, take a few at-bats and be ready to go. That kid is a stud.”
“All along, he’s had one of the best batting averages on the whole team,” Lori added.
“Arguably the player with the best spring,” Rick said, “easily among the hitters.”
“Yeah,” Lori said. “We’re just like, when are they going to announce he’s made the team? And then that happened yesterday. We were shaken. … He was definitely a lock for the big team.”
Neither top prospect was guaranteed an Opening Day job this spring. They had to earn their way, and both players proved themselves — though Greene’s injury will delay his MLB arrival — with mature plate appearances, smooth swings and reliable defense.
Rick remembers crunching all the numbers.
“I did not ever realize how hard it was, even at his level,” Rick said, “because you start doing the math, and you got 28 openings, but 15 of them are pitchers, and then, well, gee, they’re going to have at least four outfielders, and then we want three catchers. By the time you get down to it, there’s like two spots he could make. This is not easy.”
“And I’m the one that’s telling Rick, ‘Don’t get ahead of yourself,'” Lori said.
“We didn’t book the travel until this morning,” Rick countered.
“Yes,” Lori said. “After we got the phone call.”
Flights, hotel rooms and timelines for a trip to Detroit had been in place, but the family wouldn’t finalize plans until the Tigers made a decision. Rick and Lori, juggling intense work demands, will be at Comerica Park for the Tigers’ three-game series against the White Sox from April 8-10.
They gave their tax clients a March 21 deadline to submit information, and since they’re understaffed, the workload is at an all-time high. The firm employs 17 people, including five CPAs, and has a family vibe.
The next big deadline is April 18.
“We shouldn’t be doing it as far as work is concerned,” Rick said, “but I’m not going to be dying someday saying, ‘I wish I would have been at the office working instead of watching Spenny’s debut.'”
Rick laughs.
He likes to joke around.
Lori makes sure the message is clear.
“We would not miss this day or this weekend for anything,” she said.
That’s why Rick and Lori were Spencer’s first MLB call.
“It’s really special,” Torkelson said. “The amount of sacrifice and commitment, they did a lot of things for me growing up. I thank them. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. And without their sacrifice, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in. To share that with them is awesome.”
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.