Scott Harris has made the Tigers’ direction at first base pretty clear: Spencer Torkelson is staying in the picture, and any fixes to his game will happen in Detroit.
At the club’s end-of-season press conference, Harris and AJ Hinch backed Torkelson and Colt Keith while also noting there are still parts of Torkelson’s game that need work. Harris said those improvements would be made with the Tigers, not elsewhere.
Detroit has never seemed eager to move on from its former No. 1 overall pick, even if there was a stretch between 2024 and 2025 when a trade felt like a possibility and the Mets were reportedly interested. Harris has kept the same stance since then.
Torkelson has answered with production, at least on paper. He hit 57 homers with 155 RBI in 2025 and 2026 combined. Even so, Tigers fans still live with the same old issue: the streaky run of hot stretches and cold spells that keeps the frustration simmering.
The bigger question now is how that commitment fits with what’s coming next. Detroit has already brought in multiple infielders this season, and more help is on the way - especially No. 4 prospect Josue Briceño, whom Harris also said would be part of the equation in 2027.
Briceño has split his minor league career almost evenly between catcher and first base, though he’s spent most of his time at first in Triple-A. That creates a tricky overlap with Torkelson already sharing first base duties with Keith. If Torkelson stays planted there, where does Briceño actually play?
The Tigers’ catching depth doesn’t make the path any cleaner. Dillon Dingler remains the clear No. 1 behind the plate, while Eduardo Valencia is a more flexible piece and even logged one game at first base this year. That would only add another layer to the mix.
If Detroit ever decides to move away from its rotating DH setup, that could open a lane for Valencia to settle in there, assuming his 2027 follows the same upward track as his first look in 2026. In that version, Briceño could handle backup catching duties while easing into the majors.
For now, though, the Tigers seem determined to keep all the pieces on the board and sort it out later. That’s a nice problem to have until it isn’t.
At some point, the front office will have to decide what matters most. Right now, it looks like they’ve been waiting for Torkelson to become the superstar they drafted, but they may need to accept that he tops out as a solid everyday player.
Briceño will get his chances eventually, but they may come at Torkelson’s expense.
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