Detroit, MI
Detroit Tigers stock watch: Spencer Torkelson powers up as one of AL’s top sluggers
Can Detroit Tigers continue to win games as best American League team?
Detroit Tigers radio analyst Bobby Scales joins Days of Roar to break down the team’s formula for early success, plus Spencer Torkelson’s adjustments.
Let’s type it out again: The Detroit Tigers have the best record in the American League.
The Tigers (26-15) enter May 12 trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres for the best record in baseball, but they lead the 14 other AL teams in the standings — by a full 2½ games — and boast the second-highest run differential (plus-72, behind only the New York Yankees’ plus-75) among the 30 MLB teams. The Tigers sit atop the AL Central, 2½ games of both the second-place Cleveland Guardians and third-place Kansas City Royals.
OF course, there are 121 games remaining this season.
Here’s how some players are trending with 25.3% of the season in the books:
Three up
Spencer Torkelson, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, is already a candidate to win MLB Comeback Player of the Year, hitting .247 with 10 home runs, 21 walks and 43 strikeouts across 41 games — putting him on pace for 39 home runs and 130 RBIs. His career-best .881 OPS ranks 11th among 81 qualified AL players, while his .527 slugging percentage ranks eighth.
The biggest development from 2024 to 2025? An athletic Torkelson has put his swing in a position to be on time for fastballs and to do damage on contact — even against high velocity. The 25-year-old is hitting .361 against four-seam fastballs, .400 against four-seamers at 95 mph or above and .433 against four-seamers in the strike zone. To maintain his success, he has stayed focused on his approach of hitting the ball to left-center field rather than trying to pull it.
Here’s another positive: Torkelson has been worth plus-2 defensive runs saved in 290 innings at first base. His glove has taken a big step forward over the past two seasons.
I thought Torkelson was cooked.
I was wrong.
Celebrate 125 seasons of the Tigers!
If Torkelson isn’t Comeback Player of the Year, shortstop-turned-center fielder Javier Báez might win the award — not only because he’s one of the most popular names in baseball, but also because he’s finally producing the All-Star-caliber results we hadn’t seen at any point in the first three seasons of his Tigers tenure.
Nobody saw this coming.
The 32-year-old is hitting .300 with three home runs, four walks and 28 strikeouts across 32 games. His 1.1 fWAR puts him on pace for 4.6 fWAR over the full season, which would rank as the third-best performance of his 11-year MLB career, behind only 2018 (5.8 fWAR) and 2019 (5.6 fWAR).
The offense is the key, but Báez might be making an even bigger impact on defense, ranking as a top-10 center fielder in the majors. He has been worth plus-4 defensive runs saved across 127 innings in center field, despite not having played the position until an experiment in the final week of spring training.
If it’s not Torkelson, and if it’s not Báez, then why not starting pitcher Casey Mize for Comeback Player of the Year? The 2018 No. 1 overall pick leads MLB with six wins, all while posting a 2.53 ERA with nine walks and 35 strikeouts over 42⅔ innings in seven starts.
Everything has been earned.
Mize (who headed to the 15-day injured list on May 10, retroactive to May 9) retuned to the drawing board in the offseason, visiting Driveline Baseball to find more swings and misses. The 28-year-old implemented two new sliders, giving him a total of three. He also increased the velocity of his splitter to 89 mph to create more deception with his 94.5 mph four-seam fastball.
The underlying results? His whiff rate has improved from 22% in 2024 to 28.3% in 2025 — a rise from the 21st percentile to the 70th percentile among MLB pitchers. His strikeout rate has also improved, climbing from 17.3% last season to 21% this season. One more thing: Mize owns the second-best ERA among Tigers starters, trailing only Tarik Skubal.
Honorable mention: C Dillon Dingler, RHP Brenan Hanifee, RHP Will Vest.
Three down
The Tigers provided Jace Jung the opportunity to become their third baseman of the future.
All he had to do was hit.
But the 24-year-old is hitting just .193 with 22 walks and 42 strikeouts across 50 games in his MLB career, including what appears to be a missed opportunity in his 2025 stint: a .100 batting average with seven walks and 13 strikeouts over 16 games.
Jung — the No. 12 overall pick in 2022 — is a gritty player who draws walks at an elite rate, but he continues to struggle with too many whiffs and too many strikeouts. He needs to make more contact against fastballs if he wants to stick in the big leagues, let alone lock down third base for the Tigers.
Jackson Jobe entered the season as one of the favorites to win AL Rookie of the Year, but three others have separated from the pack: Oakland Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell and New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Domínguez.
Meanwhile, Jobe is plummeting.
The 22-year-old has a 4.88 ERA with 15 walks and 20 strikeouts over 27⅔ innings in six starts. His 12.3% walk rate ranks in the 13th percentile, and his 16.4% strikeout rate ranks in the 16th percentile. Hitters don’t chase or whiff at his pitches enough, often putting him behind in counts. The biggest problem: His fastball has the velocity but not the effectiveness for the big leagues.
The sky is the limit for Jobe, but the 2021 No. 3 overall pick still needs to develop.
A left oblique strain has limited Jake Rogers to just six games.
In his absence, fellow catcher Dillon Dingler — who began the season as the backup — has emerged as a candidate to cut into Rogers’ playing time upon his return to full health. Rogers will likely remain ace Tarik Skubal’s personal catcher, but if Dingler keeps hitting (at least above .275 with at least a .700 OPS), the playing time could shift to a near 50-50 split — or tilt more in Dingler’s favor.
That’s nothing against Rogers.
It’s simply a testament to Dingler’s success on offense, especially as Rogers’ production has already dropped from a .730 OPS in 2023 to a .607 OPS in 2024. A strong return from the injured list — particularly at the plate — would go a long way if Rogers, a .202 hitter in his 288-game MLB career, wants to reestablish himself as the undisputed No. 1 catcher.
Honorable mention: LHP Tyler Holton, OF Manuel Margot, RHP Kenta Maeda.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
Order your copy of “Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!” by the Free Press at Tigers125.PictorialBook.com.
Detroit, MI
Detroit family’s home damaged, Christmas gifts lost after fire spreads from vacant house
DETROIT – Detroit fire officials are investigating multiple house fires that broke out Tuesday morning, including a blaze that destroyed two vacant homes and damaged one family’s home on Dwyer Street.
The fire started around 1 a.m. in a vacant house, leveling it before spreading to a neighboring vacant property and then damaging the home of Joel Whitner and his family.
Whitner described how his family woke up to the sound of neighbors pounding on their door.
“When we walked out the door, the wind gusts and the fire just kind of like blew us back,” Whitner said, describing the intensity of the blaze.
The family’s home has significant damage, including water damage throughout the interior and damage to the roof.
The family lost Christmas gifts, furniture, and clothing in the fire.
A GoFundMe has been started to help support the family.
In a separate incident around 3 a.m., firefighters responded to another residential fire on Ashland Street, where a family of 15 evacuated safely after a space heater caught fire in an upstairs bedroom and spread to the attic.
“I grabbed my fire extinguisher, and I started spraying it right there, and that made it go up more, so I ran to the attic and started spraying in the attic,” said Jerome Hill. “Keep a fire extinguisher by your bed because if I didn’t have that by my bed, there’s no telling what would’ve happened.”
It comes after a house fire that killed a 6-year-old girl on Sunday (Dec. 14) and another fire that killed three on Monday.
Fire officials say space heaters are responsible for four out of five home heating-related fire deaths.
The Detroit Fire Department is reminding families of home heating safety tips.
Captain Edward Davis emphasized the importance of having a safety plan in place in case of an emergency.
“You want to create a fire safety plan for your home in the event of an emergency,” Davis said. “What are two ways to get out of the room, out of the home – where are our families meeting up? How do we alert other members in the home?”
The department’s safety guidelines for space heaters include:
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Place heaters on flat, stable surfaces
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Keep heaters at least three feet away from combustible items
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Plug heaters directly into wall outlets
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Turn off heaters when leaving rooms or going to sleep
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Keep heaters clear of walkways and exits
The department is also reminding families of important carbon monoxide safety tips:
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Install carbon monoxide alarms low to the ground, near gas furnaces, dryers, or heaters.
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Test CO detectors monthly and replace them every five to seven years.
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Avoid using a stove, oven, or grill as a heat source.
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Keep gas and charcoal grills outdoors only—never in garages or enclosed spaces.
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Hire only qualified professionals to inspect or repair heating systems, fireplaces, and chimneys.
Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
House fire safety: Essential steps to stay safe
This video outlines critical steps to take in the event of a home fire. It covers calling emergency services, safely evacuating, and ensuring family safety while waiting for professional help.
A fire that claimed three lives in Detroit began with an electrical incident, officials say. Now, in the wake of that deadly blaze, another fatal fire and multiple other recent blazes – including one that injured a firefighter − Detroit fire officials are urging residents to take fire safety steps this holiday season.
Four people died across two fires on Sunday, Dec. 14, and Monday, Dec. 15, in the city, and firefighters tackled three housefires that displaced residents in the early morning hours on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
A cause was not yet available for the Dec. 14 fire that killed a 7-year-old boy, originally reported by officials as a 6-year-old girl. That fire took place in the 12000 block of Rutherford Street, near Greenfield Road, and also left a woman critical and a 4-year-old with smoke inhalation.
In the case of the Dec. 15 fire, more details were beginning to emerge.
A man, a woman and a teen girl all died after a house fire reported about 6 a.m. in the 19000 block of Wildemere Street, near Detroit’s Palmer Park and off 7 Mile Road. An elderly woman was also critical after the fire.
Clutter in the house slowed down rescue efforts, officials previously said.
And speaking to the media on Tuesday, Dec. 16, Fire Investigation Division Chief Dennis Richardson said an electrical event caused the fire, and combustibles in the house contributed to the blaze.
The specifics of the electrical event are still being looked at, but Richardson said the house already had electrical issues, and it’s believed wiring played a role in the fire.
Fire department team members “hate seeing this,” and are trying to convey messages around fire safety this time of year, Richardson said.
A spike in fires
That message is one the department works to share months ahead of the holiday season, said Detroit Fire Marshal Donald Thomas. Headed into next year, the department hopes to use data to work with specific neighborhoods with vulnerable structures that see home heating and electrical fires.
“We do notice that there is a spike in some of the fires that we have during our colder season,” Thomas said.
While the causes are still under investigation, the department also saw multiple houses in flames on Dec. 16:
- A fire was reported about 12:45 a.m. in the 19100 block of Dwyer Street, said Corey McIsaac, Detroit Fire Department media relations director. Firefighters arrived to find fire in one home, but it extended into four homes nearby. One home was occupied, but no one was injured.
- A house fire was also reported just before 3 a.m. in the 19600 block of Charest Street, McIsaac said. Firefighters arrived to find all residents and dogs outside. The fire was put out but rekindled a little after 6 a.m. and was doused again.
- Additionally, a fire was reported just before 3:10 a.m. in the 2100 block of Ashland Street, McIsaac said. The upstairs flat in the two-family home was on fire, and all residents were out when firefighters arrived. One firefighter was injured during the response but was released later in the day.
All displaced residents were connected to the American Red Cross or Detroit Housing Services for housing assistance, McIsaac said.
Fighting time
Fire can double itself every 30 seconds, so residents and responders are “fighting against time” when flames break out, said Detroit Fire Capt. Edward Davis of the Public Instruction Unit.
Steps he suggested to avoid a fire in the first place include:
- Plugging space heaters directly into wall outlets instead of extension cords.
- Not leaving space heaters unattended while sleeping or leaving the home.
- Keeping space heaters on a flat surface and three feet away from clothing, paper products or other combustibles.
- Keeping space heaters away from children and pets, as the little ones can knock the heaters over or get burned.
- Not using ovens or stoves to heat a house.
Steps he recommended to prepare for safety during a fire included:
- Having working smoke detectors and checking them every week.
- Creating a fire safety plan that includes two routes of escape, where to meet and how to alert others in the house without risking personal injury. That last part could be done with whistles or air horns. Additionally, having a plan on how to shelter if escape isn’t possible. Sheltering could include closing a door to slow a fire’s progress.
- Possessing fire extinguishers and knowing how to use them.
- Possessing a ladder, if a resident wants, but being sure where it is and how to use it because of how quickly fire doubles.
The fire department also released additional information on getting fireplaces and furnaces inspected and avoiding the dangers of carbon monoxide in the winter months. For more safety suggestions and details on those, go to detroitmi.gov/fire.
In addition, those facing housing concerns, without proper heat, or displaced from the fires can reach out to the Detroit Housing Resource HelpLine at 866-313-2520.
Man charged in deadly hit-and-run from 2024
It’s the first holiday without Darnell Scott, who was killed in a hit-and-run in the summer of 2024 on Detroit’s east side. You might remember this video, showing him getting hit and neither driver stopped.
DETROIT (FOX 2) – A Detroit man was run over not once, but twice, all on video. Many might remember the incident from last summer but on Monday there was a big break in the case.
Big picture view:
It’s the first holiday without Darnell Scott, who was killed in a hit-and-run in the summer of 2024 on Detroit’s east side. You might remember a video showing him getting hit and neither driver stopped.
These cases can be tough to solve, but the Detroit Police fatal squad painstakingly pieced together footage from Green Light cameras and license plate readers, leading them to Daryl Rice in November.
He is now charged and was given a personal bond, which means he’s out for now.
“I honestly didn’t give up hope because we stay praying about it,” said the victim’s twin sister, Dana Scott.
The family is sickened by the damning evidence. Apparently, Rice made a false insurance claim on his car after the hit-and-run, lied about how the damage happened, but in the process, police say he incriminated himself.
The family wants others to hold out hope.
“Don’t give up, because it can happen, your wishes and answers can come true,” said Dana.
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