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USA Today
20 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Spencer Torkelson Player Props: June 27, Tigers vs. Twins
Spencer Torkelson, coming off a homer in his most recent game (going 1-for-4), will take the field for the Detroit Tigers versus the Minnesota Twins on Friday. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET on FDSDET and MNNT. Find odds, stats, and more below to make your Spencer Torkelson player prop bets. Torkelson has launched a team-best 17 home runs (he's added 50 RBI). Among all hitters in baseball, Torkelson's home run total ranks 15th and his RBI tally ranks 24th. Watch tonight's Tigers game on Fubo! Spencer Torkelson Prop Bets and Odds How to Watch Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins Spencer Torkelson prop bet insights MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Friday at 1:26 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Spencer Torkelson stats against the Twins Twins pitching insights
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How Tigers' fallen star, late-blooming No. 1 picks got Detroit roaring atop AL
How Tigers' fallen star, late-blooming No. 1 picks got Detroit roaring atop AL Show Caption Hide Caption Watch baseball player's emotional reaction to surprise MLB promotion During a minor league baseball game in Tacoma, Washington, Cole Young was pulled aside and informed he'd been called up to play in the big leagues. BALTIMORE – They have been machinelike for nearly 120 games, spanning two seasons, and now sport the best record in the American League. Yet peel back a layer from the Detroit Tigers, and the players responsible for that excellence aren't far removed from the pitfalls of the sport. Perhaps it was the extra baggage No. 1 overall picks carry, a weight Spencer Torkelson admits delayed his eventual rise to feared slugger. Or the isolation one can feel as a flailing superstar with a $140 million contract on a struggling team, like Javy Baez endured for most of three seasons. Not even the greatest Tiger of all, peerless left-hander Tarik Skubal, is immune, undergoing Tommy John surgery at his no-name college, climbing to the big leagues only to suffer a flexor tendon injury that wiped out nearly a full season of his prime. Yet look at them now. The Tigers are 44-25, a start so dominant that the last Detroit club to break so strongly reached the 2006 World Series. They are a curious mix of largely twentysomething talent, versatile and fungible youngsters and the occasional veteran like World Series champion Báez – all willing to play anywhere or bat in whatever position, so long as everything they have is for the team. 'All things that it takes to have a lot of sustained success is definitely shining,' Torkelson, their first baseman possibly headed to his first All-Star Game, tells USA TODAY Sports, 'and having guys that have been at the bottom, been at the top, like Javy, it's such a cool perspective. 'That's baseball. That's sports. It's not going to be amazing every single day, every single year. You're going to battle through it. 'For me, that's what's so rewarding about it. You've seen the worst and when you do have success, it makes it that much sweeter.' The franchise itself can relate. A 114-loss 2019 was the nadir during seven consecutive losing seasons, a stretch of futility that netted it the top overall pick in two drafts. It wasn't until this spring that those two No. 1 overall picks, Torkelson and right-hander Casey Mize, found concurrent success. 'This is definitely a game of failure,' says Riley Greene, the Tigers' All-Star outfielder. 'They worked on the things they needed to work on and they're crushing now. Some people don't get it right away and others do; but that's the ups and downs of baseball. 'They had stuff to work on, and they took it and ran with it. And now look at 'em.' 'I wanted to make everyone happy' For Torkelson, the unkindest cut of all came when he least expected it. After spending all of 2023 in Detroit, the Tigers shipped him to Class AAA Toledo on June 3, 2024. He was toting a .201/.266/.330 slash line, with just four homers and 56 strikeouts in 230 plate appearances. It would have been humbling for any player who fancied himself a big league regular. But carrying that first overall pick designation – a tag no one ever forgets – only added to the weight. So Torkelson, still just 25 even as he's five years removed from the Tigers taking him No. 1 out of Arizona State, learned to leave all that behind. 'A lot of it was eliminating expectations. As a people pleaser, I wanted to make everyone happy,' says Torkelson. 'As a No. 1 pick, you want to live up to what everyone's writing about you rather than take a step back and be like, 'Wait, what got me selected No. 1?' My God-given ability and work ethic got me selected. So why not trust that – which is a lot easier said than done. 'Really going back to the basics and doing it not for anyone else but my own pleasure.' The mindset paid off. Torkelson earned an August recall to Detroit and produced a .781 OPS over the final two months, compared to .597 before his demotion. He's continued the trend this season, his 16 home runs tops among AL first basemen. He also leads the majors with 10 two-strike home runs, possibly a testament to his adjusted mindset. 'Baseball or golf, it's like, staying out of your own way is probably the biggest key to success for guys,' says Torkelson. 'The goal is to stay as present as possible. As a baseball player, your mind is always looking forward. You get a hit, now you're 3 for 4. You get another home run, now you've got 17. Your mind is always trying to look into the future, which it is supposed to do. 'But that's not how you maintain in a sport. It's taking a step back and seeing how you attack this pitch. Sometimes you catch yourself and you get yourself back to present.' Says manager A.J. Hinch: 'The way he bounces back from tough at-bats – he's pretty resilient.' A star embraces versatility Torkelson's recall, combined with a trade-deadline makeover and Hinch unleashing the Tigers' 'pitching chaos' plan awakened a franchise. The Tigers finished 33-16, snagged a wild-card spot and upset the Houston Astros in the wild-card round before losing a wild five-game AL Division Series to Cleveland. And Báez wasn't around for almost all of it. He and the Tigers decided he'd undergo season-ending hip surgery after an August series at Wrigley Field, sight of Báez's greatest triumphs as a member of the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs. With the Tigers, he'd been more a liability, producing a .221 OBP and 71 adjusted OPS in his first three seasons. Repairing his hip might have been the unkindest cut at the time, but now he and the Tigers are reaping the rewards. Báez returned healthy and with a new identity – the do-anything super utilityman. Báez hadn't played center field since winter ball in 2015 until Hinch tossed him out there as a late-game defensive replacement. He ended up playing 23 consecutive games in center, robbing home runs, chasing balls into the gap and, in that span, slugging six home runs with an .898 OPS. With center fielder Parker Meadows' return, Báez is more often back at his natural shortstop. Either way, he has been remarkably valuable, producing four outs above average and 1.3 WAR, putting him on pace for his finest season as a Tiger. 'A guy like Javy, who's been the center part of a lot of teams he's been on, can just be one of the guys,' Hinch says of Báez, who made two All-Star teams and won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger as a Cub. 'He doesn't have to carry us; we have a true team and a lot of guys who can do it. But when he adds something to the mix, we usually win. 'He's a big part of what we're doing and I think he's one of the best, versatile players in the league.' Báez's production fused with the young core was the outcome he envisioned when he signed with the Tigers, the last major transaction of former GM Al Avila's tenure. 'Everything is getting better as a team, as an organization. The only difference for me is being healthy,' says Báez, whose deal runs through 2027. 'I'm playing better for myself and playing better for the team. 'That was one of the reasons I came here: I saw the other prospects coming here and would make a good team in the future. The future is now – we're doing it right now.' Báez might have been envisioned as a franchise hub, but he's probably serving as a better avatar for the young players in his current role – versatile, willing to trot out to any position, starter or reserve, always ready. 'He's unbelievable. He's one of the best athletes, baseball players, that I've got to see live,' says Torkelson. 'You stick him in center field, he'd probably win a Gold Glove out there. He's such a great athlete and special to see every day. 'He's willing to do whatever. And he's so comfortable in whatever situation he's in – he's never sped up. He's always cool, calm and collected, something we aspire to do every game.' 'A complete team' As the season unfolds, the Tigers will have to accept their new lot in life – that of division favorites. They hold a seven-game lead in the AL Central, and with the rampant inconsistency in the AL West, would be a fair bet to earn a first-round bye should they hold onto the division. Promising right-hander Jackson Jobe has been lost to Tommy John surgery, a big blow for his development, yet one the Tigers can weather given their depth with Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Mize out front of the rotation. Mize, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, already weathered that storm undergoing Tommy John and also back surgery, a double whammy that wiped out his 2023 season. 'We have Tarik leading us at the top. He's the best pitcher in the league,' says Mize, who has a 2.95 ERA in 11 starts. 'And we have some depth we really like and bullpen guys we really like. 'A complete team.' One that's on the verge of what could be an unforgettable summer, the promise of greatness tempered by the humility that helped them reach this threshold. 'What got us to this point is taking it day by day, being there for each other and enjoying the ride,' says Torkelson. 'It's not going to be perfect. But it's going to be a lot of fun.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Does Detroit Tigers 1B Spencer Torkelson have All-Star plans? 'I'm going Up North'
BALTIMORE — Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson has plans for the All-Star break. For now, his plans don't include baseball. "I'm going Up North," he said. Since making his MLB debut, Torkelson has spent every All-Star break somewhere in Michigan, oftentimes at a lake in northern Michigan. This year, he's traveling Up North again and looks forward to swinging his new driver at a golf course. Advertisement But Torkelson might have to cancel those plans. PURR-FECT GAME NEWSLETTER: Tarik Skubal is making history. So which Tigers will join him at MLB All-Star Game? Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson in the dugout in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Comerica Park, Sunday, June 8, 2025. The All-Star Game is scheduled for July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta, with fan voting already underway. In 2025, Torkelson has been one of the best first basemen in the American League — opening the door for the 2020 No. 1 overall pick to play in the Midsummer Classic for the first time in his four-year MLB career. Fans can vote for position players (but not pitchers) on Finalists at each position will be announced June 26 followed by another round of voting to determine starters, who will be announced on July 2. The full rosters, with position-player reserves and pitching staff selected by player vote and the commissioner's office, will be announced July 6. Advertisement "Control what you can control — and that's showing up every day and putting good at-bats together," Torkelson said Tuesday, June 10. "The rest speaks for itself. Of course, everyone wants to be an All-Star. But I just want to attack every single day and win every single day. If I do that, I'll put myself in a good position." Among AL first basemen, Torkelson ranks second in OPS (.842), while leading the way with 15 home runs, 15 doubles and 45 RBIs. He also ranks 10th in batting average (.237), sixth in on-base percentage (.342) and first in isolated power (.263). His 64 games played are tied for fourth among the AL's 11 qualified players at first base. Torkelson is one of four AL players — and the only AL first baseman — to record at least 15 home runs, 30 extra-base hits and 45 RBIs this season, joining New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward. JEFF SEIDEL: Spencer Torkelson on Tigers struggles: 'I'm not the same person' Advertisement Two or three AL first basemen will be selected to the All-Star Game. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — the popular Toronto Blue Jays' first baseman — is expected to be a lock for his fifth-consecutive All-Star bid, likely as the AL starter at first base, leaving three players in the mix for what could be one or two spots: Torkelson, the Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda and the Yankees' Paul Goldschmidt (New York Yankees). A red-hot June could turn Torkelson into a lock for the All-Star Game. Celebrate Father's Day with our new Tigers book! Torkelson also deserves to be a candidate to participate in the Home Run Derby, scheduled for July 14. He is one of MLB's best power hitters, with his 15 homers ranking 12th his isolated power of .263 ranking 11th among 168 qualified players. Advertisement Eight players participate in the Home Run Derby. Judge already declined. But Torkelson is ready to swinging for the fences, if invited. "It's every kid's dream," Torkelson said, "but I haven't thought too much about it." Torkelson changed his approach at the plate, from 2024 to 2025. In 2024, Torkelson focused on pulling balls to left field for home runs, which led to fewer homers and more strikeouts. In 2025, Torkelson is committed to hitting line drives into right-center field and allowing his natural power to create homers, resulting in the best season of his career. Advertisement "I think I could scratch the approach for an hour," Torkelson said. He doesn't think the Home Run Derby would impact his performance once he returned to Comerica Park post-All-Star Game. There are four home runs in which Torkelson, by Statcast's calculations, would already have more than 20 homers if he played all of his games there. (Truist Park, however, is not one — Statcast projects him for a 15-homer total in Atlanta.) "Anything can mess you up if you let it," he said. [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] Matt Vierling: Rehab assignment coming soon Outfielder/third baseman Matt Vierling is trending toward a rehab assignment soon in his return from a right shoulder injury. The 28-year-old is completing all baseball activities, including throwing. Advertisement Expect Vierling to begin a rehab assignment as a designated hitter, then transition into outfield and third base. "He's definitely going to make a rehab stint," manager A.J. Hinch said. "We'll see how soon it can be. There's a chance that he could do it a little faster than necessarily the throwing even indicates." NEXT BIG THING? Tigers players evaluate prospect Bryce Rainer: 'He's got all the tools' Vierling suffered a shoulder injury early in spring training, spent three months rehabbing and returned to the big leagues for four games before re-aggravating his right shoulder, sending him back to the injured list. Advertisement He has been sidelined since May 26. "He's fine body-wise," Hinch said. "He's fine to swing. He's fine to run. He can do everything. We're working his throwing back into the equation." Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson (45) throws against Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Reese Olson finally throwing changeups Right-hander Reese Olson has important news to share. He finally felt comfortable enough to throw a few changeups while playing catch Tuesday at Camden Yards. The 25-year-old hasn't been able to throw changeups — or pitch in games — since suffering a right ring finger injury in his May 17 start against the Toronto Blue Jays. "I'm on track," Olson said. Advertisement Not being able to throw his elite changeup has kept him sidelined for nearly one month, though he has maintained his arm strength by throwing all of his other pitches in bullpen sessions. Olson is scheduled to complete another bullpen session Wednesday, June 11. After that, the Tigers will evaluate his pitch usage and determine the next step for him, including whether or not he needs a rehab assignment. He owns a 2.96 ERA in nine starts. Alex Cobb keeps going Right-hander Alex Cobb — who signed a one-year, $15 million contract but has been injured since spring training — is scheduled for the third start of his rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Toledo. He is recovering from a right hip injury. Advertisement He completed his first two starts with High-A West Michigan. "Increase in level and increase in volume at the same time will tell us a little bit more," Hinch said. "How does the stuff play? How does he retain it? Is he moving better? Is all the rehab that he's doing chipping away a little bit at the discomfort? We're going to find out." Cobb pitched through pain in those starts, somehow finding a way to complete 4⅓ innings on one hit and two walks with five strikeouts. The Tigers even instructed him not to cover first base on ground balls to the right side of the infield. He tossed 24 pitches in his first start, then 34 pitches in his second start. For now, Cobb will continue to build up as a starter. Advertisement "I don't think we have enough information to really make a call yet," Hinch said. "We're going to use, most likely, the entire rehab stint to make a determination on what he can and can't do." Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers 1B Spencer Torkelson already has All-Star Game plans
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Spencer Torkelson hits 16th home run in Detroit Tigers' 5-3 win over Baltimore Orioles
BALTIMORE — Detroit Tigers slugger Spencer Torkelson saw seven pitches from Baltimore Orioles left-hander Cade Povich in the fifth inning: four pitches in the strike zone, three pitches out of it. He refused to chase. Advertisement On the fourth in-zone pitch, the seventh of his at-bat, Torkelson destroyed a 92 mph fastball to center field for a two-run home run, capping a three-run inning for the Tigers. The center fielder nearly robbed it, but the ball eluded his leaping attempt. The Tigers won, 5-3, over the Orioles on Tuesday, June 10, in the first of three games in the series at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, supported by Torkelson's 16th homer in 65 games (a 38-homer pace in the 2025 season). ASG WATCH: Does Tigers 1B Spencer Torkelson have All-Star plans? 'I'm going Up North' Spencer Torkelson of the Detroit Tigers celebrates a two-run home with third base coach Joey Cora in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Torkelson leads American League first basemen with 16 homers and 47 RBIs, and ranks second behind the Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda with an .850 OPS. Advertisement The Tigers (44-24) wouldn't have benefited from Torkelson's home run if not for a string of two-out hits in the fifth inning. After back-to-back outs, Riley Greene doubled, Dillon Dingler singled, Torkelson homered and Zach McKinstry tripled. The Dingler single made it 3-1 Tigers, and the Torkelson homer made it 5-1 Tigers. Celebrate Father's Day with our new Tigers book! Leading 5-2, the Tigers called on right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle to protect the three-run advantage with a runner on second base and two outs in the eighth inning. Kahnle escaped without allowing a run. Right-handed reliever Will Vest surrendered a leadoff home run to Jordan Westburg in the ninth inning — making it a 5-3 game — but he took care of the next three batters to record his 11th save in 13 chances. Advertisement [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] Sawyer Gipson-Long sharp Right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long is a starter, but the Tigers used him as a reliever against the Orioles — only because manager A.J. Hinch preferred left-handed reliever Brant Hurter as an opener in matchups with the Orioles' left-handed hitters. Gipson-Long entered in the fourth inning. He was sharp. The 27-year-old took down 4⅔ innings with five strikeouts, throwing 78.4% of his 51 pitches for strikes. His changeup was responsible for six of his nine whiffs, as the Orioles missed six times on 11 swings against his best pitch. Advertisement The Orioles didn't record a hit off Gipson-Long until his fifth and final inning of work. That runner ended up scoring on Adley Rutschman's sacrifice fly, cutting the Tigers' lead to 5-2. Gipson-Long surrendered two hits in his final inning, which he couldn't complete. One of those hits — a double by Gunnar Henderson that chased him — marked the first hit off Gipson-Long's changeup this season. Tuesday marked Gipson-Long's second MLB game since Sept. 28, 2023, following his recovery from right elbow surgery and right hip surgery. His fastball averaged 94.6 mph, up 2 mph from his 2023 average of 93.6 mph. Javier Báez puts Tigers in front The Tigers and Orioles traded runs in the early innings. Advertisement In the second inning, McKinstry hit his first of two triples and scored on Wenceel Pérez's sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, hits from Jackson Holliday and Henderson against Hurter. The Henderson single tied the game, 1-1. Detroit Tigers outfielder Zach McKinstry (39) scores during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. PURR-FECT GAME NEWSLETTER: Tarik Skubal is making history. So which Detroit Tigers will join him at MLB All-Star Game? The Tigers grabbed a 2-1 lead with Javier Báez's two-out RBI single in the fourth inning. He hit a second-pitch changeup from Povich into right field, upping his batting average to .269 through 57 games this season. Báez hit .184 in 80 games last season. Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Advertisement Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Spencer Torkelson blast powers Detroit Tigers past Orioles, 5-3
San Francisco Chronicle
11-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Gipson-Long pitches effectively and Torkelson homers as the Tigers beat the Orioles 5-3
BALTIMORE (AP) — Spencer Torkelson homered and Sawyer Gipson-Long pitched effectively out of the bullpen to help the Detroit Tigers beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 on Tuesday night. Zach McKinstry hit two triples for the Tigers, who have won 11 of 15 and own the best record in the majors at 44-24. Detroit is 4-0 against the Orioles this season, outscoring them 22-9. Making his second start of the season as an opener for the Tigers, Brant Hurter allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings. Chase Lee (3-0) got the last out in the third, and Gipson-Long entered in the fourth after Javier Báez hit an RBI single in the top half for a 2-1 lead. Making his second appearance of the year after missing the entire 2024 season due to Tommy John and hip surgeries, Gipson-Long gave up one run and three hits with five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Gipson-Long began the 2024 season on the IL with a groin strain. After just one rehab start, he underwent elbow surgery that April, followed by left hip surgery in July. The 27-year-old right-hander finally returned to the big leagues last week, but did not get a decision against the White Sox. Detroit scored five runs off Cade Povich (1-5) in the first five innings. The big blow was Torkelson's 16th homer, a drive to center with a man on that made it 5-1 in the fifth. Key moment Povich retired the first two batters in the fifth before Riley Greene doubled, Dillon Dingler hit an RBI single and Torkelson went deep, Key stat Detroit is 16-2 in its last 18 games against the AL East, its best mark since an 18-2 run against that division in 1973. The series continues Wednesday night with Detroit RHP Casey Mize (6-1, 2.91 ERA) — who is 4-0 in seven starts since April 13 — going up against RHP Zach Eflin (5-2, 4.47 ERA). ___
