The surprise was when MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced him as a third baseman.
Torkelson played first base at Arizona State and left field in the Cape Cod summer league.
He hasn't played third base since his high school days, but that's where the Tigers envision him in the future.
"At this point, we’re going to send him out as a third baseman," GM Al Avila said on ESPN shortly after sending in the pick. "We feel he’s more than capable of handling that."
If so, it will boost his value. A power-hitting third baseman is harder to find than a power-hitting first baseman. And we know Torkelson has the power. He hit 48 homers in his first two seasons at Arizona State and was on pace to blow past the school's career home run record.
Asked about the prospect of playing third base, Torkelson told ESPN, "It’s not a shock to me. I pride myself as a baseball player, and a baseball player isn’t stuck at one position. You’re not playing in the backyard as a five-year-old locking down first base only. You’re playing all over the place, so that’s kind of what I pride myself on.
"I pride myself on winning and getting the job done. And if that’s at third base, I’ll do my best over there and make it happen."
As for the excitement of being picked No. 1 overall, Torkelson said it was still sinking in.
"I told my dad five minutes after, I was like, 'You can punch me in the face right now, I don’t think I’d feel it.' It was just the biggest adrenaline rush and the happiest moment in my life to this date. It’s unreal."