Spencer Torkelson’s horrifying RISP track record justifies AJ Hinch’s drastic lineup decision

In shuffling his lineup this week, Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch sent a loud and clear message.

Dropping Spencer Torkelson to sixth on Tuesday and sitting him entirely for Wednesday’s series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks wasn’t just about a slow start. It was about a pattern. And at some point, patterns stop being noise and start becoming truth.

Torkelson’s early-season line — 3-for-20 with eight strikeouts — is ugly, sure. But small samples happen. Every hitter runs into a bad week. That alone wouldn’t justify a move this drastic from Hinch.

But this does: in the most critical run-scoring situations of his career — bases loaded or runners on second and third — Torkelson is 6-for-62.

For a player drafted No. 1 overall and developed to be a middle-of-the-order anchor, those are the moments he’s supposed to own. Instead, they’ve become situations where opposing pitchers can exhale. A .097 batting average in those spots does more than just hurt. It actively kills rallies.

Tigers demand more from Spencer Torkelson amid RISP woes

The Tigers aren’t in a phase where they can afford to wait around for theoretical upside. This is a team that added win-now pieces like Framber Valdez, brought back Justin Verlander, and is trying to capitalize on a window in a winnable AL Central. Every at-bat with runners in scoring position matters more now than it did a year ago.

So Hinch adjusted. By moving Torkelson down in the order, he’s doing two things at once: reducing the damage in high-leverage spots and taking pressure off a hitter who clearly hasn’t handled those moments well. By sitting him Wednesday, he doubled down — accountability over pedigree.

Lineup spots are earned, not inherited. Torkelson’s RISP struggles aren’t just about bad luck or sequencing anymore. The sample size — 62 at-bats — is large enough to demand attention, especially when the failures are this extreme. Whether it’s mechanical, mental, or approach-based, something is breaking down when the stakes rise.

And until that changes, Hinch can’t justify continuing to bat him in premium run-producing spots. That’s not giving up on Torkelson. It’s demanding more from him.

If anything, this is the clearest sign yet that the Tigers still believe in what he can become. But belief doesn’t mean blind trust. Not for a team trying to win now.

Torkelson will get his chances again. Players with his talent always do. The question is whether he’ll finally prove he belongs in those moments — or continue to be the reason the Tigers are forced to avoid them.