What do Torkelson and Greene need to do to make Detroit Tigers roster?

Detroit Tigers manager A. J. Hinch is pretty straight to the point when speaking to the media. Today, he addressed the question about Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene making the team.

It was a typical morning down in spring training as the Detroit Tigers beat writers gathered around to talk to A. J. Hinch as the team made a series of cuts. 

Detroit News writer Chris McCosky asked Hinch a question. Is it time to announce that Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson had made the squad? His answer?

“Too soon. They still have things to do to make this team. I can’t put it any more simply than that.”

A.J. Hinch talks game speed

If there is one thing I like about Hinch is that anytime you listen to him speak about baseball, you come away with baseball insight. During the game today against the Yankees, Hinch had this to at about Spencer Torkelson as he was making a play.

“That is a play you can never practice. We can hit fungo, you can hit little soft rollers, that’s where game action matters way more than just sort of drill work,”

“It’s just baseball timing. knowing that the runner will have to hold up a little bit, collect himself, throw the ball to Javi and not trying to force it.”

Here is more from the discussion on air as Kirk Gibson’s question provided more insight about both Torkelson and Greene on where they are at in spring training so far.

Hinch: ” I take them on every trip whether they are play or not. They are either watching baseball or play baseball.”

“I am brutally honest with them. You have not done enough to make the team, but you are here, we want keep playing, keep learning. When you make a mistake, how do you respond to it, when you do well, how do you respond to that. They are right where they need to be. We don’t have to decide yet, we have 10 days until the end”. 

As far as spring training data goes, looks like Riley Greene continues to look like a non-rookie out there with these exit velocities.

My translation of what Hinch said is pretty simple. They are still in camp, been giving every opportunity to showcase their talent. Wait, the 10 days for the official announcement and let them continue to focus on baseball. Torkelson and Greene reacted accordingly.

To answer that question as of 4pm today, what would they have to do to make the Opening Day roster? Not much.