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Spencer Torkelson, Kerry Carpenter bring some hope to Tigers offense
Detroit Tigers designated hitter Kerry Carpenter (30) receives congratulations from first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Spencer Torkelson, Kerry Carpenter bring some hope to Tigers offense

There was a time earlier this season when it seemed like the Detroit Tigers had little to no future outside of star centerfielder Riley Greene. Much of the team had a batting average below .200, and their No. 1 overall pick from 2020, Spencer Torkelson, looked lost at the plate.

To be frank, their record doesn't look much better in late August—the Tigers are currently 57-68 and are in third place in the abysmal AL Central—but there's some hope in the air right now in Detroit.

The reasoning? Torkelson's bat, which is the reason why he was the consensus top pick in 2020, has finally woken up. He boasts 23 home runs on the season and an OPS of .771.

Keep in mind, his average OPS in May was .599 and he came into July with only 11 home runs to his name.

What that means, in layman's terms, is that Torkelson has been absolutely raking lately. He's hit eight home runs so far in August, including two multi-home run games and his OPS this month is 1.113. There was a time earlier this year when he would have had better luck at the plate blindfolded. 

Now? He's making pitchers pay to the tune of a .294 batting average along with a .721 slugging percentage in August.

That's exciting for Detroit.

Those numbers go from exciting to thrilling upon realizing that his fellow "bash brother," Kerry Carpenter, is on a tear of his own. Often batting back-to-back in Detroit's lineup, Carpenter has greatly benefited in the four-hole from Tork heating up in front of him at third.

Carpenter has 19 home runs on the season. Eight of those dingers have come in August, and he's hit a long ball in three straight games.

The key for these two youngsters in Detroit will be consistency, of course. They need to finish the season strong and find a way to carry that momentum into 2024 and beyond.

With that said, for the first time in a long time, it seems as if the Detroit Tigers may have a young core worth tuning in for in the trio of Greene, Torkelson and Carpenter. 

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