Spencer Torkelson, if you haven’t noticed, has been sizzling. Over the last 13 games, he is slashing .404/.475/.519 with a .994 OPS. He’s hit just one homer in that stretch, but that’s part of the deal. “Just trying to be a hitter first,” he said. He’s had everyone from the Tigers’ hitting coaches, to his agent Scott Boras, to his father in his ear telling him to be a more complete hitter and not sell out for power.
“My agent is always harping on me,” Torkelson said. “He says, ‘You are a great hitter, not a power hitter. You are a hitter with power.’” During this stretch, he is covering different pitches in all parts of the strike zone and hitting balls to both gaps. “It just being a little more disciplined and trusting it,” he said. “Trying not to do too much with the fastball has helped me see the off-speed better and helped me stay back and stay on time and hit every pitch.” He chuckled when he talked about his dad’s advice. “My dad grew up in an era where batting average was the only stat they cared about,” he said. “He probably looks at my average (.232) and he’s like, ‘Ah man, my kid stinks.’ Nah, he just roots for my success. He didn’t play past high school so he’s like, just use the whole field. “I’m like, ‘It’s actually not easy to hit fastballs the other way.’” Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com @mccosky This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers' Torkelson thriving with new approach: 'A hitter with power'