Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson is our guy this evening. After a solid Tuesday going 1-for-4 with a double and a run, he is primed for another strong outing against Pirates left-hander Andrew Heaney. Heaney holds a poor rating on Batters-Box and a poorly rated matchup in ISO, hard contact, and ground ball percentage, giving up nearly 40% hard contact to opposing hitters.
On the road this season, Heaney owns a 3.72 ERA, with a 3.33 ERA and 1.11 WHIP overall—an improved version from year's past. Regardless, he only features two pitches rated above average to a whole number, and they make up just 34% of his arsenal. Torkelson profiles well against all five of Heaney's offerings.
The Tigers rising star has crushed lefties this season, posting a .261 average, .638 slugging percentage, and a 1.035 OPS. At home, he has been steady, with a .233 average and .839 OPS.
Given the price, his elite rating—where he has gone over in six of his last 10—and Heaney's road struggles, Torkelson is a go this evening.
