A.J. Hinch is putting the pressure on Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene to make the Tigers' Opening Day roster. They're just not prone to feeling it.
"I can attest to Riley, too," Torkelson said Monday on the Stoney & Jansen Show. "I think if we just go out there and do what we do and do whatever we can to help the team win, there won't be any pressure. It's a team sport. If we're all pulling on the same rope trying to get a win, I don't think we'll feel much pressure."
This is new for neither of them. Greene has faced pressure to perform since the Tigers drafted him fifth overall in 2019, Torkelson since they drafted him first overall in 2020. Two of the top prospects in baseball, they've delivered at every turn. When the season begins April 8 at Comerica Park, Greene could be starting in center field and Torkelson could be starting at first.
They could also be hitting in the middle of the Tigers' lineup. In 40 games each last season with Triple-A Toledo, the duo combined for 40 extra-base hits and an OPS of .935. Asked how he would sell himself to Hinch to earn a roster spot this season, Torkelson said, "Gosh, I think I can really contribute to a lot of wins, I can save some errors at first base, and I'm going to have a lot of fun doing it."
(Just take it from Cazey Mize, who said Tuesday that Torkelson and Greene "are the real deal, for sure, and I'm looking forward to having them because they're definitely going to contribute and help us win.")
Torkelson's talent should sell itself. So should Greene's. They have about three weeks' worth of games starting Friday to prove to Hinch they belong in Detroit. It was last fall, as he looked ahead to this spring, that Hinch said the Tigers would "apply as much pressure on them as possible" to win big-league jobs by Opening Day.
"I'm curious how they're going to respond when we get to camp and now all eyes are on them, and it's big drama, and you guys are asking about them a lot. I love that," Hinch said. "I love the pressure on these guys. And then we'll see where it takes us, but everything's going to matter."
If Torkelson makes the team, he'll move Miguel Cabrera off first base. That would be just fine for Miggy, who's happy to be a designated hitter if it means Torkelson is helping the Tigers win. In his first conversation with reporters at spring training, Cabrera said he wants Torkelson and Greene to make the team because they'll make the team better. Torkelson said that's "unbelievable" to hear.
"It feels awesome just to have a future Hall of Famer say that about you," said Torkelson. "Obviously he wants to win and he knows that me and Riley and all the young guys are in the same boat, so it's really cool."
Torkelson, 22, has long looked up to Cabrera, one of the best right-handed hitters of all time. Torkelson is a power hitter who wants to be known, like Miggy, as a pure hitter with power. There's a difference: 28 players in MLB history have 500 home runs, only six of whom also have 3,000 hits. Cabrera is about to become the seventh. Or put it this way: 38 MLB players had 30 home runs last season, the same number Torkelson hit in the minors. Only two of them also had at least 180 hits: Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Freddie Freeman.
"The way Miggy handles his at-bats, his approach is unbelievable," Torkelson said. "He's not even thinking about the pull side. He's going to right center, right field and then if he is a little early, he'll flick it out to left, no big deal. I really admire that about him."
There's already plenty to admire about Torkelson as he makes his way to the majors. Same for Greene. There's no guarantee they'll make it to Detroit by Opening Day, and Hinch warned as much last fall: "This is not an easy level to conquer, just because you do well in the minors." But they're closing fast on the finish line, where the rest of their careers are waiting to begin.
