4 insane Tigers spring training breakouts fans will never forget

Spring training is nigh and the Detroit Tigers are hoping they can get some strong breakout performances from their players down in Florida, so it's worth looking back at some past spring training breakouts in Tigers history.

While a player having a strong showing in the Grapefruit League does not necessarily equate to success in the regular season, it can often portend better things to come. Let's take a look at four breakouts that fans look back on fondly.

4 breakout Detroit Tigers performances from past spring trainings

Cameron Maybin (2007)

While Cameron Maybin ended up having two brief stints with the Tigers in his career, he really turned some heads in 2007 with a strong spring. In 17 games he slashed .429/.520/.905 with two home runs.

Maybin ended up making his big league debut with Detroit that season, but he hit a paltry .143/.208/.265, showing that success in the Grapefruit League does not always lead to a great season.

Spencer Torkelson (2025)

While Maybin was not able to translate his success to the big leagues, Spencer Torkelson came into camp last season with something to prove — prove it he did.

He had his best spring showing to date and flashed the power that made the Tigers select him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft.

The Bay Area native went on to have his best season in the majors thus far, hitting .240/.333/.456 with 31 home runs and 78 runs batted in across 155 games in 2025.

He came into camp not knowing if he had a future in Detroit and ended up having the kind of year that will likely have him stick around for a while.

Niko Goodrum (2018)

Spring training is the perfect time for utility players to establish themselves. A lot of the time, battles for roles on the bench get settled in spring. Niko Goodrum grabbed hold of a bench spot with his showing back in 2018.

The multi-positional player hit .289/.327/.644 with four homers. It was good enough to earn him a spot on the team and he had a solid year in the big leagues, batting 245/.315/.432 with 16 home runs and 53 RBI.

He followed that up with another solid year in a utility role in 2019 before falling off a bit.

Jackson Jobe (2024)

While Jackson Jobe did not end up making the 2024 Opening Day roster, he did enough to open some eyes to his potential. He flashed a 102 mile per hour fastball in his spring training debut and although Detroit opted to have the young arm spend most of 2024 in the minors, he had a slightly more prominent role in 2025 and had a 4.22 ERA in 10 starts before undergoing Tommy John.

We relish spring training storylines and breakout performances. Even though March's biggest story can be an afterthought by April, it is still intriguing every year to see which players stand out in Florida.