This is what the Detroit Tigers have been waiting for.
Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, the former first-round draft picks and the most important hitters in the organization, are playing their best baseball at the same time, and the Tigers are winning games as a result of their positive performances.
Continued success from both players is vital to the Tigers’ success, both in the present and in the future. To reach the postseason, either this year or in the coming years, the Tigers need Torkelson and Greene to provide quality plate appearances in the middle of the batting order consistently.
“I think we realize that, but it’s just taking it one day at a time,” said Torkelson, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick. “We show up every single day trying to get 0.1% better in whatever part of our game. If we take that over a season, and if we take that over 15 seasons, it’s going to be pretty unstoppable.”
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Greene, the 2019 No. 5 overall pick, feels the same way about his development. Both players struggled at times through their first 500-plus plate appearances in the major leagues, but in their sophomore seasons, they’ve displayed an ability to make adjustments at the plate.
Together, they’re maturing at the highest level.
“It’s awesome,” Greene said. “We worked our way up through the minor leagues. We got here together. Now, we’re producing together. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s always fun to see Tork and other guys doing well. We’re just going to keep it going and have fun. We’re having a lot of fun right now.”
This season, Torkelson has refined his approach against slider-heavy right-handed pitchers, while Greene has slightly tweaked his swing mechanics to increase his line-drive and fly-ball rates.
The subtle changes have unlocked better versions of both players as the Tigers are in third place in the American League Central, only a half-game behind the Cleveland Guardians, with an 18-21 record.
The Tigers have won 16 of their past 28 games.
“They’re just scratching the surface,” said Eric Haase, a 30-year-old catcher who has played parts of six seasons in the big leagues. “Their ceiling is as high as they can take it. They’re not making the same outs over and over and over again. They’re making adjustments. That’s really encouraging to see.”
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In 2023, Torkelson is hitting .231 with three home runs, 10 walks and 31 strikeouts in 38 games. His 76 wRC+, a metric measuring all-around production on offense, ranks 155th among 173 qualified players.
The 23-year-old has played 12 games in May — in which the Tigers have a 8-4 record — and is hitting .283 with four doubles, one homer, two walks and eight strikeouts. It’s the best stretch of his 148-game MLB career.
“Someone was telling me that I was locked in or something,” Torkelson said, “and I was like, ‘No, I’m just me again.’ This is what I was born to do. This is what I’m supposed to do. I just haven’t shown it consistently. I’m happy to do it right next to Riley, and I’m happy it’s translating to wins as a team.”
Greene, meanwhile, is hitting .279 with three home runs, 12 walks and 49 strikeouts in 39 games. His 100 wRC+ ranks 101st among the same group of 173 players. The 22-year-old, who has 132 MLB games under his belt, performs at his best when he swings at pitches inside the strike zone, specifically pitches he can hit for damage, and avoids chasing pitches outside the zone.
Like Torkelson, Greene has played 12 games in May and is hitting .383 with five doubles, one homer, three walks and 12 strikeouts. He has hit safely in 15 of his past 17 games following a slump in mid-April.
Greene has eight of his 15 RBIs in May, while Torkelson has six of his 17 RBIs in May.
“They’re handling a lot of responsibility,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “They’re continuing to evolve and grow. They’re not naive to the fact that they are a really big part of our present and our future, and it’s a lot to bestow on them.”
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The reality is, Torkelson and Greene don’t have to fuel the entire offense.
Javier Báez, who signed a six-year, $140 million contract, is being paid to ignite the Tigers’ attack, and the 2016 World Series champion (and two-time All-Star shortstop) has been doing that over the past 26 games with a .316 batting average, nine extra-base hits, five walks and 17 strikeouts.
But Torkelson and Greene are the future of the franchise and under team control through the 2028 season. The Tigers — for the first time in two seasons — are witnessing the impact of their success at the same time.
“We’ve been patient with both guys,” Hinch said. “Our belief is never going to waver. Our trust in their work is not going to waver. The results are starting to show up a little bit. But they shouldn’t have to carry the whole burden of the offense for us. They’re going to be a big part of it. But the calmness around each other and around the responsibility is very noteworthy.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.