The End of the Road in Detroit?
Spencer Torkelson's time with the Detroit Tigers may be coming to a close. The Arizona State product — once one of baseball's most hyped first-base prospects — is listed among the disappointing Tigers players the organization is expected to move on from this offseason, according to FanSided. Torkelson closed out the 2026 regular season hitting just .230, a number that encapsulates a tenure defined more by unfulfilled potential than production. Whether he's traded or released, the calculus in Detroit seems clear: the Torkelson experiment is over.
The fall from grace is stark. Torkelson was the first overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft and arrived in the majors carrying the weight of a franchise's rebuild on his shoulders. What followed was a prolonged struggle to stick at the big-league level, and now, heading into a pivotal offseason, the Tigers appear unwilling to wait any longer. For Sun Devil fans, it's a tough watch — but Torkelson is still just 26, and a change of scenery could be exactly what reignites his career.
Around the Diamond
The Torkelson story dominated the week's Sun Devil narrative, but there were other alumni worth tracking during the final days of the regular season.
Luke Keaschall turned in one of the more impressive individual performances of the weekend, going 3-for-his-at-bats with three runs scored and two walks as the Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 6-4 on September 27. The second baseman is hitting .282 on the year — a quietly solid showing for the former ASU standout who has carved out a legitimate roster spot in Minnesota.
Erik Tolman continued to make a case for himself in Washington's bullpen. The right-hander worked 1.1 innings for the Nationals against the Mets — a 6-4 loss — fanning two batters and carrying a 2.93 ERA into the offseason. That's a respectable number for a reliever on a rebuilding club, and Tolman will head into 2027 with some leverage.
Brian Serven, catching for Oakland in a 9-run loss to Houston, drew a walk but is batting just .175 on the year — a figure that will likely fuel an offseason roster conversation of his own in the Athletics' organization.
The week was a fitting microcosm of the ASU alumni landscape in MLB: one major storyline at the top, a handful of contributors quietly holding their own, and the ever-present uncertainty of roster decisions looming as the calendar flips to October. For Torkelson, that uncertainty is loudest — and the next chapter of his career is the one Sun Devil fans will be watching most closely this winter.
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