Will Spencer Torkelson remain patient, continue to chance Tigers' history? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson appeared to look better even when he wasn't hitting home runs.
Over the past week, with homers in five consecutive games, Torkelson is beginning to look like one of the MLB's top sluggers.
With hits in six straight games, Torkelson on Sunday lined a seventh-inning home run off Boston Red Sox reliever Pierce Johnson, lifting the Tigers to a 5-3 lead over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Spencer Torkelson has homered in FIVE STRAIGHT GAMES! pic.twitter.com/YdafxQQk4f
Ex-Tigers slugger Marcus Thames (2008) was the last Tigers player to connect on homers in five straight outings. No Tigers batter has homered in six consecutive games.
After a powerless start, Torkelson remained patient with his at-bat process and should start rising up the batting order again.
Torkelson suffered through a season-opening, 23-game homerless streak. He was batting .182, which led Tigers manager AJ Hinch to drop the two-time 31-home run hitter to seventh in the batting order.
"It's a tough sport," Hinch told The Detroit News on April 19.
Despite appearing more patient during his plate appearances, Torkelson had little to show for his efforts. He remained connected with his process.
Through his opening 77 plate appearances, he swung at the first pitch just nine times, averaging nearly five pitches per at-bat.
"He's been pretty patient, or passive, depending on how you want to look at it," Hinch said. "He needs to find a happy medium on how aggressive to be."
The last time Torkelson homered in four straight games, he played at Arizona State, a 2019 power surge that helped the Tigers' officials identify the slugger as their 2020 No. 1 overall MLB draft pick.
Last Wednesday's home run, his first this season, was Torkelson's first since last Sept. 20.
Three different players homered in an MLB-best eight consecutive games, Seattle Mariners' Ken Griffey Jr. (July 20-28, 1993), New York Yankees' Don Mattingly (July 8-18, 1987), Pittsburgh Pirates' Dale Long (May 19-28, 1956).