Spencer Torkelson is coming off the best season of his career in 2025, and he should be a consistent option at first base for every fantasy manager who decides to draft him in fantasy baseball in 2026. However, betting on Torkelson also means believing he’ll be capable of replicating the numbers from last season and carrying them into this upcoming campaign, and that’s far from certain.
On the surface, Torkelson’s numbers look good. He slashed .240/.333/.456 with 31 homers, 78 RBI, and 82 runs scored across 649 regular-season plate appearances.
However, that stat line came with several career-best marks, including home runs, walks (72), walk rate (11.1%), and OPS (.789). Will he be able to deliver the same positive results in 2026, or will he regress to the point where it’d be safe to look at other fantasy options at first base?
Spencer Torkelson’s Strengths, Weaknesses, and 2026 Projections
If you’re drafting Torkelson, you’re getting a proven slugger who can go yard at any moment of any game, regardless of who’s on the mound. He had a career-best .216 ISO in 2025 while launching 30-plus homers for the second time in the last three years, so the power is the real deal. However, even his plus power has a caveat since Torkelson plays at Comerica Park, which is one of the least hitter-friendly parks in the majors.
Torkelson also carries a few question marks that aren’t related to his power numbers. He had at least 75 RBI and at least 80 runs scored for the second time in the past three seasons in 2025, but repeating those numbers will also depend on the rest of the lineup. The Tigers figure to be one of the top teams in the AL Central, so that could be covered.
Unfortunately, Torkelson isn’t a fast runner: He has five stolen bases in his four-year career in the majors, so don’t expect him to contribute there. He’s also not a first baseman who hits for average: His .240 from 2025 was a career-best mark, and even that came with a .283 BABIP, so he should experience some regression. Don’t be surprised if Torkelson hits below .235 for the fourth time in five years.
Torkelson is a decent player to target if you’re in need of a slugger in the mid-to-late rounds, but he shouldn’t be your first choice at first base. His extreme fly-ball tendencies and low batting average make him a player who’s too reliant on his power numbers to succeed, both in fantasy and in real life.
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