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It took five minutes for Spencer Torkelson to impress Alan Trammell

Posted at 2:14 PM, Jun 11, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-11 18:50:16-04

As far as approvals go, there are few thumbs up that mean more in the Tigers organization than that belonging to Alan Trammell.

The Hall of Famer watched Spencer Torkelson at an Arizona college baseball tournament this spring, and had an instant reaction.

Five minutes into watching the Arizona State slugger, Trammell told Tigers scouting director Scott Pleis, “Man, I like this guy.”

Pleis shared the story on Thursday, less than 24 hours after Detroit made Torkelson the No. 1 overall pick.

“No ballpark’s gonna hold Tork. There’s no question about it," Trammell said in the conference call with reporters.

Trammell said he liked watching Torkelson's athleticism in action.

“This is a good looking kid. I love the drive,” he said. “This is a nice addition to the Tigers organization.”

The Tigers announced Torkelson as a third baseman. The first time the No. 1 overall pick learned of Detroit's plans was when the commissioner announced it.

"That's a compliment to Spencer. If it doesn't work out, we know he can play first. But it helps the organization if he can," Trammell added.